As a world leader in pancreas transplantation, we performed the world’s first pancreas transplant in 1966. We proved that transplant surgery can allow a person with diabetes to live without insulin injections. Since that time, we have performed nearly 2,000 pancreas transplants – approximately 10 percent of all pancreas transplants in the world.

Our physicians performed the world's first simlutaneous kidney-pancreas transplant in 1966. Today we educate patients about the importance of getting a pancreas transplant before they experience kidney failure. However, if a patient is already in kidney failure, our surgeons can perfom a living donor kidney transplant, followed by a pancreas transplant. The pancreas transplant helps protect the new kidney from the recurring damage of diabetes.

We are also the home of the oldest, largest living donor pancreas transplant program. In 1979, David E.R. Sutherland, M.D., Ph.D. performed the world's first partial pancreas transplant  from a living related donor. To date, we have performed more living donor pancreas transplants than any other center in the world. In 2000, our surgeons performed the world's first surgical laparoscopy for removing a kidney and partial pancreas from a living donor.