Good results for pancreas transplants

I still qualify for kidney and pancreas transplants, as I enter my 17th month on the transplant waiting list.

No calls for two months.

The good news is, I passed my urology examination in April with a reasonably good PSA of 2.9 and no evidence of cancer.

Concern occurs when the PSA, or Prostate-Specific Antigen test, reaches 4, signifying greater risk of prostate cancer. Any cancer will prevent a transplant from taking place because suppression of the immune system can make the cancer more aggressive.

I also do not have HIV or hepatitis.

Good to go.

There's more good news: Research is showing notable success with pancreas transplants for older adults.

In a news release, Dr. Sandip Kapur, chief of transplant surgery and director of kidney and pancreas transplant programs at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, announced results of his and his colleagues' research.

• Excellent outcomes for pancreas transplantation in older patients.

He said recent studies have been uncertain about success of pancreas transplants in older patients but found no increase in acute rejection or complication rates. Such transplants in older patients is safe and feasible with excellent graft and patient outcomes.

"They report that with proper patient selection, older patients can safety receive a pancreas transplant without an increased risk of complications, infections requiring hospitalization, or cytomegalovirus or CMV infections. Furthermore, these patients also benefit from a lower rejection rate over the lifespan of the transplant.

Dr. Kapur also said pancreas transplantation remains an important option for patients with type 1 diabetes. Underweight and obese patients have excellent outcomes after pancreas transplantation and their weight doesn't limit transplant success or patient survival.