Introduction: Surgical complications after pancreas transplantation, and subsequently relaparotomies, are frequently associated with graft loss, important morbidities, and occasionally patient death.
Patients and methods: From March 1995 to September 2008, 118 diabetic patients underwent pancreas transplantation: 109 simultaneous pancreas-kidney and nine pancreas after kidney. There were 68 men and 50 women. Mean age at transplantation was 37.8 +/- 7.8 years (range = 25-66). We analyzed donor and recipient characteristics, rate of relaparotomies, risk factors, as well as patient and graft survivals.
Results: Forty patients (33.9%) underwent one or more relaparotomies. The causes for relaparotomy were: graft thrombosis in 15 patients (12.7%), bleeding in 14 (11.9%), duodenal stump leak in 7 (5.9%), severe pancreatitis and/or abscess in 5 (4.2%), and small bowel obstruction in 3 (2.5%). Graft pancreatectomy was performed in 52.5% (21 patients). The causes of graft loss were: graft thrombosis in 15 patients (12.7%), bleeding in 14 (11.9%), and duodenal stump leaks in 7 (5.9%). Mortality rate after relaparotomy was 3.38% (four patients). Relaparotomy rate for thrombosis was higher among the portoiliac than the portocaval vein anastomosis group (20.0% vs 10.2%; P = NS), and significantly higher for the bladder drainage than the enteric drainage technique (18.2% vs 5.8%; P < .05). Patients without relaparotomy experienced a significantly higher 5-year graft survival rate than those who underwent relaparotomy (87.2% vs 37.9%; P < .001), but 5-year patient survivals were similar (96.8% without relaparotomy vs 89.6% with relaparotomy).
Conclusions: Abdominal complications and the necessity for relaparotomy were associated with important morbidity and significantly reduced pancreas graft survival.