Expertise & Experience

Key Statistics

• The pancreas transplant programme in Singapore was first established in 2012 as a collaborative effort with the National University Hospital (NUH), providing an additional treatment option for patients with Type 1 diabetes.
• The first simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplant in Singapore was successfully carried out in September 2012.
• Pancreas transplantation has been performed for over 4 decades and is a well-established procedure for diabetic patients.
• The main objectives of pancreas transplant are to:
  • Render Type 1 diabetes patients’ insulin-independent
  • Improve quality of life
  • Reduce long-term diabetic complications such as kidney failure
• It has been shown to prolong survival in patients with diabetes and renal failure.
• Globally, more than 30,000 pancreas transplants have been reported to the International Pancreas Transplant Registry (IPTR):
  • More than 22,000 from the USA
  • More than 8,000 from outside the USA
• 1-year outcomes:
  • Graft survival rates exceed 80%
  • Patient survival rates are 95%
• 3-year outcomes:
  • Patient survival rates exceed 90%
  • Pancreas graft survival is about 80% for simultaneous pancreas-kidney recipients
• 5-year outcomes:
  • Pancreas graft survival rate is 72%
  • Patient survival rate is 86%
  • Compared to a 5-year patient survival of 38% without transplant in Singapore
• Since 2012, five SPK transplants have been performed locally for patients with Type I and Type II diabetes mellitus.
• In April 2019, the first SPK transplant for a Type II diabetes patient in Singapore was successfully performed.
• In 2019, a total of 2,323 pancreas transplants were carried out worldwide:
  • Approximately 58% were performed in North America
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in Singapore:
  • Approximately 2 in 3 new dialysis cases are due to diabetes

Key Milestones

Programme Highlights:

• National collaboration between National University Hospital (NUH) and Singapore General Hospital (SGH)
• Led by a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, physicians, and transplant coordinators
• Covers pre-transplant evaluation, waitlisting, surgery, and post-operative care
• Focus on improving clinical outcomes, research, and transplant education

Impact on Patients

• Enables insulin independence for suitable patients
• Improves quality of life and reduces complications such as kidney failure, blindness, and stroke
• Offers a life-changing option for patients with Type 1 diabetes and end-stage renal disease

Expands eligibility to selected Type II diabetes patients