Transplantation - American Diabetes Association

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Transplantation

Kidney Transplantation
Diabetes sometimes damages kidneys so badly that they no longer work. When kidneys fail, the person needs a way to replace their function, which is to clean the blood. One option is kidney transplantation.

Pancreas Transplantation
In people with type 1 diabetes, the islet cells in the pancreas no longer produce insulin. So it seems logical that giving a new pancreas to a person with type 1 diabetes would cure their disease. Usually it does.

Islet Transplantation
If scientists can develop safe immunosuppressants that always work, then many people with type 1 diabetes may choose to have pancreas transplants. Until then, many doctors think islet transplants are a better option.