A
pancreas transplant is an
organ transplant that involves replacing the
pancreas of a person who has
diabetes with a healthy pancreas that can make
insulin. The healthy pancreas comes from a donor who has just died or from a living relative. A person can donate half a pancreas and still live normally. At present, pancreas transplants are usually performed in persons with insulin-dependent diabetes who have severe complications. This is because after the transplant the patient must take
immunosuppressive drugs that are highly toxic and may cause damage to the body.