Surgical complications after simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplantation: A single-center experience

SummaryBackgroundWe investigated the rate of early surgical complications after simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplantation (SPKT) and their impact on both grafts and recipient survival.Materials and methodsThe retrospective analysis of typical pancreas-related complications, different methods of correction, and their efficacy were performed. Data describing pancreas transplant recipients were drawn from our SPKT waiting list.ResultsThe overall surgical complications rate was 37.5%. The 1-year pancreas graft survival was 82.5% and 1-year recipient survival was 90%. Surgical complications based on the graft loss rate did not exceed 2.5%. Direct surgical complications did not account for the loss of a single patient.ConclusionWe conclude that the high rate of surgical complications is a major obstacle to widespread application of pancreas transplantation; early recognition and appropriate treatment of graft-related complications is fundamental for graft survival.