
Pancreas Transplant Program
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Why choose UCSF Health for pancreas transplant?
The UCSF Connie Frank Transplant Center is a leading center for pancreas and pancreas-kidney transplants. We help people with type 1 diabetes and those with diabetes and end-stage kidney disease. We're known for excellent outcomes, and after transplant, our patients enjoy a life free of dialysis and insulin therapy.
Most people who need a pancreas transplant also require a kidney transplant. We have decades of expertise in multi-organ transplant procedures, and our kidney transplant program is one of the largest in the nation.
We're also one of the few centers offering islet transplant. During this minimally invasive procedure, we transplant insulin-producing cells from a donor. Donor islets enable your body to produce insulin, reducing your risk of developing diabetes. This procedure means you won't need lifelong insulin injections.
We guide you through the entire process, from getting on the waitlist and preparing for transplant to surgery and recovery. We're known for our continued care and long-term relationships with patients, even many years after transplant.
Why choose UCSF Health for pancreas transplant?
The UCSF Connie Frank Transplant Center is a leading center for pancreas and pancreas-kidney transplants. We help people with type 1 diabetes and those with diabetes and end-stage kidney disease. We're known for excellent outcomes, and after transplant, our patients enjoy a life free of dialysis and insulin therapy.
Most people who need a pancreas transplant also require a kidney transplant. We have decades of expertise in multi-organ transplant procedures, and our kidney transplant program is one of the largest in the nation.
We're also one of the few centers offering islet transplant. During this minimally invasive procedure, we transplant insulin-producing cells from a donor. Donor islets enable your body to produce insulin, reducing your risk of developing diabetes. This procedure means you won't need lifelong insulin injections.
We guide you through the entire process, from getting on the waitlist and preparing for transplant to surgery and recovery. We're known for our continued care and long-term relationships with patients, even many years after transplant.
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Excellent success rates
Our three-year survival rates after kidney transplants far exceed the national average.Top ranked program for kidney care
We are high-performing (highest rating) for acute kidney failure care, according to U.S. News & World Report.Leader in living kidney donation
We have the largest living kidney donation program on the West Coast, helping to reduce waitlist times.Research and innovation
You may be able to participate in clinical trials and get faster access to new transplant techniques and therapies.
Advanced pancreas transplant care
Our experienced transplant teams provide care before, during and after the procedure to help you achieve the best possible outcome. Your dedicated patient navigator guides you through the entire transplant process. Transplant team members include:
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Surgeons
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Medical specialists
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Transplant infectious disease experts
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Pharmacists
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Psychiatrists
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Nurse care coordinators
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Social workers
Pancreas transplants we perform
We have experience with all three types of pancreas transplants:
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Pancreas transplant alone (PTA). If you have type 1 diabetes and healthy kidneys, this procedure is the best option.
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Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant (SPK). This procedure is for people with type 1 diabetes and end-stage kidney disease.
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Pancreas after kidney transplant (PAK). If you have a living kidney donor, you may have a kidney transplant first. Later, you receive a pancreas when one becomes available from a deceased donor.
Pancreas islet transplant expertise
UCSF Health has one of the only centers offering islet transplant. This procedure can reverse diabetes, allowing most recipients to stop using insulin. Our researchers are also investigating ways to regenerate (regrow) islet cells in the pancreas and grow insulin-producing cells in a lab.
We are among the only centers in the West offering total pancreatectomy – islet auto-transplantation, an advanced procedure to lower your diabetes risk after pancreas removal surgery. We are also a leading center performing this procedure on pediatric patients with chronic pancreatitis.
Locations
Providers
Award-winning transplant care

Best in Northern California for gastroenterology & GI surgery
Related conditions & treatments
Conditions
- Type 1 Diabetes
- End-Stage Renal Disease
Treatments
- Pancreas Transplant
- Combined Transplant (Kidney-Pancreas)
- Islet Cell Transplant
- Pre-Renal Transplant Care
Clinical trials
EVR and EPO for Liver Transplant ToleranceOpens in a new window
This is an open label, single-arm, multicenter phase 1b study of stable adult liver transplant recipients on a tacrolimus (TAC)-based immunosuppression (IS) regimen who will transition from TAC to Everolimus (EVR), receive five doses of EPO and concurrently initiate phased withdrawal from EVR.Expanding Liver Transplant Immunosuppression Minimization Via EverolimusOpens in a new window
This is a study to determine the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of taking away the anti-rejection medicine, tacrolimus, in liver transplant recipients in conjunction with everolimus monotherapy to preserve renal function. Two hundred - seventy (270) subjects will be randomized 2:1 into one of two groups between 2-3 months post-transplant. Seventy participants will be placed into an observational group and will remain on their current post-transplant medications. The duration of the study from time of enrollment is 18-20 months.Daratumumab and Belatacept for DesensitizationOpens in a new window
Proportion of subjects who have not met a subject stopping rule, and remain free of all of the following through 26 weeks after starting treatment or until receiving a transplant, whichever occurs earlier: 1. Grade 3 or higher...Parathyroid Allotransplant for Treatment of HypoparathyroidismOpens in a new window
The primary efficacy endpoint is attainment of levels of intact PTH that are in the normal target range and at least a doubling of the baseline intact PTH level prior to transplantationKIDney Injury in Times of COVID-19 (KIDCOV)Opens in a new window
The 12-month continuous, quantitative Kidney Injury Test (KIT) score, measured on a scale of 0-100, where a higher urine-based KIT score correlates to worse kidney injury.Optimizing Liver MRI Using Breath-Holding With and Without OxygenOpens in a new window
Image quality of liver MRI scans will be assessed by quantifying the degree of respiratory motion artifacts under two breath-holding conditions: Functional Residual Capacity (FRC) alone and FRC with oxygen supplementation. Reduced...







