Are criteria for islet and pancreas donors sufficiently different to minimize competition?

Islet and pancreas transplantation may compete for a limited number of organs. We analyzed records from the national Swiss transplant registry during a 4-year period to investigate the proportion of donors that are suitable for islet and pancreas transplantation. Suitability for pancreas transplantation was mainly defined as: age 10-45 years; weight <or= 80 kg; BMI <or= 25 kg/m(2); amylasemia <or= 150 U/l; ICU stay <or= 3 days and absence of severe hypotension (MAP <or= 60 mmHG). Between 1.1.1997 and 31.12.2000, data of 407 donors were collected, from which 321 donors were included in the study. Thirty-three (10%), 143 (45%), and 23 (7%) donors fulfilled the criteria for pancreas, islet transplantation, and both procedures, respectively. Giving priority to pancreas transplantation and accepting the absence of one selection criterion, 90 (28%) pancreas and 100 (31%) islet donors were identified. We conclude that with current allocation policies prioritizing pancreas transplantation, pancreas and islet transplantation may coexist with little competition.