Total Number of Pancreas Transplants

As of October 3, 2000 more than 15,000 pancreas transplants were reported to the IPTR. These included over 11,000 performed in the United States (US) and over 4,000 from outside the US (non-US). At the time of this Annual Report, reporting for 2000 was not yet complete. Because the 2000 data was not yet complete, the bar graph in Figure 1 shows totals only through 1999. (Please see 2001 Mid-Year Update for updated 2000 totals.) For 1999, 1,524 pancreas transplant cases were reported: 1,276 US cases and 248 non-US cases.

About 84% of the pancreas transplants reported to the IPTR through the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) are from the US. Since 1987, reporting to UNOS has been obligatory for US cases, while reporting to the IPTR for non-US cases is voluntary. Reporting from non-US countries again improved during this past year, but it is suspected that the number of non-US cases is at least 30% higher than illustrated.

Analysis of Data

This data analysis is for the 1996-2000 pancreas transplants. The 2000 cases reported as of October 3, 2000 (1,031 US and 162 non-US) were included in the analyses if a complete record was available. In all cases, pancreas grafts were defined as functioning as long as recipients were insulin independent; kidney grafts were defined as functioning as long as recipients were dialysis-free or, if not on dialysis pretransplant, their posttransplant serum creatinine levels were below pretransplant levels. For purposes of analysis, death with a functioning graft (DWFG) was considered as graft failure. Historical data are shown to illustrate outcome over time.

Figure 1