Pancreas transplant - series: Indications
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One of the most common diseases which affects the pancreas is insulin dependent diabetes, or type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is the result of an autoimmune attack on the islet cells which produce insulin. The resultant lack of insulin leads to excess blood sugar levels in the blood and a variety of health problems including visual disturbances (diabetic retinopathy), heart disease, nerve disorders (diabetic neuropathy), and kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy). Diabetic patients must take insulin everyday.
Update Date: 7/25/2007 Updated by: Robert A. Cowles, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.