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Type 1 Diabetes: Living With Complications - Surgery
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
- Topic Overview
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Health Tools
- Cause
- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk
- When To Call a Doctor
- Exams and Tests
- Treatment Overview
- Prevention
- Home Treatment
- Medications
- Surgery
- Other Treatment
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information
- References
- Credits
Some complications from type 1 diabetes may need surgical treatment. For example, surgery to remove the vitreous gel (vitrectomy) may improve eye disease (diabetic retinopathy).
For more information, see the topics:
For more information on heart and blood vessel disease, see the topics:
If you have kidney damage from diabetes and are considering
a kidney transplant 
, you may be eligible for surgery to replace your pancreas
(pancreas transplant ) at the same time. In either case, you need to meet specific
criteria to be considered for the surgery.
The only other surgery for type 1 diabetes is the insertion of working pancreas cells (islet cell transplant) into your body. Islet cell transplant surgery is experimental at this time, and you also need to meet specific criteria.
Surgery Choices
What To Think About
Pancreas and islet cell transplants are very expensive. After having one of these surgeries, you must take immunosuppressive medicines to keep your body from rejecting the new tissue.
The success rate for pancreas transplants is improving because of new surgical techniques and new medicines. But islet cell transplants may replace pancreas transplants in the future.11 People with complications from diabetes aren't always eligible for islet cell transplants.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: November 2, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | John Pope, MD - Pediatrics David C.W. Lau, MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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