Autologous Islet Transplantation With Remote Islet Isolation After Pancreas Resection for Chronic Pancreatitis

IMPORTANCE Autologous islet transplantation is an elegant and effective method for preserving euglycemia in patients undergoing near-total or total pancreatectomy for severe chronic pancreatitis. However, few centers worldwide perform this complex procedure, which requires interdisciplinary coordination and access to a sophisticated Food and Drug Administration-licensed islet-isolating facility. OBJECTIVE To investigate outcomes from a single institutional case series of near-total or total pancreatectomy and autologous islet transplantation using remote islet isolation. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective cohort study between March 1, 2007, and December 31, 2013, at tertiary academic referral centers among 9 patients (age range, 13-47 years) with chronic pancreatitis and reduced quality of life after failed medical management. INTERVENTIONS Pancreas resection, followed by transport to a remote facility for islet isolation using a modified Ricordi technique, with immediate transplantation via portal vein infusion. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Islet yield, pain assessment, insulin requirement, costs, and transport time. RESULTS Eight of nine patients had successful islet isolation after near-total or total pancreatectomy. Four of six patients with total pancreatectomy had islet yields exceeding 5000 islet equivalents per kilogram of body weight. At 2 months after surgery, all 9 patients had significantly reduced pain or were pain free. Of these patients, 2 did not require insulin, and 1 required low doses. The mean transport cost was $16 527, and the mean transport time was 31/2 hours. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Pancreatic resection with autologous islet transplantation for severe chronic pancreatitis is a safe and effective final alternative to ameliorate debilitating pain and to help prevent the development of surgical diabetes. Because many centers lack access to an islet-isolating facility, we describe our experience using a regional 2-center collaboration as a successful model to remotely isolate cells, with outcomes similar to those of larger case series.