Pancreas transplantation is mainly performed for patients with end stage kidney failure due to Type I diabetes. These patients undergo combined kidney and pancreas transplantation, which takes care of the kidney failure as well the disease which caused the kidneys to fail. There are other patients with Type I diabetes who have a lot of fluctuation in their blood sugar levels resulting in life threatening hypoglycemia. Pancreas transplantation alone can be a life-saving procedure for these patients as well.

Some patients with Type II diabetics, with end stage renal disease and without significant insulin resistance can also benefit from the combined pancreas kidney transplant. Despite advances in insulin administration, only pancreas transplantation achieves perfect glycemic control and can stop the progression of vascular complications because of diabetes. It can also reverse peripheral neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy, prevent recurrence of diabetic nephropathy in the transplanted kidney and improve patients’ quality of life as they are no longer dependent of multiple injections or sugar monitoring. It also makes them free to eat whatever they like.