Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation as the standard surgical treatment for diabetes mellitus patients with end-stage renal disease.

OBJECTIVES To review the outcome following simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and end-stage renal disease, as well as those with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and to discuss the applicability of this treatment in this locality. METHODS A systematic literature review was performed by searching the PubMed and Elsevier databases. The search terms used were "simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation", "diabetes", "pancreas transplant" and "SPK". Original and major review articles related to simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation were reviewed. Papers published in English after 1985 were included. Clinical outcomes following transplantation were extracted for comparison between different treatment methods. Outcomes of simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant and other transplantation methods were identified and categorised into patient survival, graft survival, diabetic complications, and quality of life. Patient survivals and graft survivals were also compared. RESULTS Currently available clinical evidence shows good outcomes for type 1 diabetes mellitus in terms of patient survival, graft survival, diabetic complications, and quality of life. For type 2 diabetes mellitus, the efficacy and application of the procedure remain controversial but the outcomes are possibly comparable with those in type 1 diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSIONS Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation is a technically demanding procedure that is associated with significant complications, and it should be regarded as a 'last resort' treatment in patients whose diabetic complications have become life-threatening or severely burdensome despite best efforts in maintaining good diabetic control through lifestyle modifications and medications.