Purpose: : Although pancreas allograft thrombosis (PAT) incidence has progressively decreased, it remains the most common cause of early graft failure. Currently, there is no consensus on... Show morePurpose: : Although pancreas allograft thrombosis (PAT) incidence has progressively decreased, it remains the most common cause of early graft failure. Currently, there is no consensus on documentation of PAT, which has resulted in a great variability in reporting. The Cambridge Pancreas Allograft Thrombosis (CPAT) grading system has recently been developed for classification of PAT. In this study we aimed to assess the applicability and validate the reproducibility of the CPAT grading system.Methods: : This study is a retrospective cohort study. Selected for this study were all 177 pancreas transplantations performed at our center between January 1 st, 2008 and September 1 st, 2018 were included.Results: : A total of 318 Computed Tomography (CT) images was reevaluated according the CPAT system by two local radiologists. Inter-rater agreement expressed in Cohen's kappa was 0.403 for arterial and 0.537 for venous thrombosis. Inter-rater agreement, expressed in the Fleiss' kappa, within clinically relevant thrombosis categories was 0.626 for Grade 2 and 0.781 for Grade 3 venous thrombosis.Conclusions: : Although not perfect, we believe that implementation of the CPAT system would improve current documentation on PAT. However, it is questionable whether identification of a small Grade 1 thrombosis would be relevant in clinical practice.Furthermore, a good quality CT scan, including adequate phasing, is essential to accurately identify potential thrombus and extend after pancreas transplantation. Show less
Pancreas transplantation is the only long-lasting curative option patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. During the last 50 years, it has evolved from an experimental procedure to an accepted... Show morePancreas transplantation is the only long-lasting curative option patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. During the last 50 years, it has evolved from an experimental procedure to an accepted treatment. For patients suffering from diabetes mellitus induced end-stage renal disease, a simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation is the best option. Due to increased experience, the indications for transplantation have been expanded, causing waiting lists to increase. To match the increasing demand, transplant professionals are forced to accept higher risk donor organs. This thesis investigates those risks and aims to quantify the risk in donor risk indices. Those risk indices were also investigated in this thesis. Furthermore, solitary risk factors for outcome were investigated. There appears to be a significant association between center volume and outcome: high volume center have better results than low volume centers, despite accepting higher risk donor organs. Another risk factor that was investigated was donation after circulatory death (DCD) pancreas transplantation. It showed that DCD pancreas transplantation is a feasible option to expand the donor pool. Show less
Complete graft thrombosis is the leading cause of early graft loss following pancreas transplantation. Partial thrombosis is usually subclinical and discovered on routine imaging. Treatment options... Show moreComplete graft thrombosis is the leading cause of early graft loss following pancreas transplantation. Partial thrombosis is usually subclinical and discovered on routine imaging. Treatment options may vary in such cases. We describe the incidence and relevance of partial graft thrombosis in a large transplant center. All consecutive pancreas transplantation at our center (2004-2015) were included in this study. Radiological follow-up, type and quantity of thrombosis prophylaxis, complications and, graft and patient survival were collected. Partial thrombosis and follow-up were also studied. All 230 pancreas transplantations were included in the analysis. Computed tomography was performed in most cases (89.1%). Early graft failure occurred in 23 patients (13/23 due to graft thrombosis, 3/23 bleeding, 1/23 anastomotic leakage, 6/23 secondary to antibody mediated rejection). There was evidence of partial thrombosis in 59 cases (26%), of which the majority was treated with heparin and a vitamin K antagonist with graft preservation in 57/59 patients (97%). Thrombosis is the leading cause of early graft loss following pancreas transplantation. Computed tomography allows for early detection of partial thrombosis, which is usually subclinical. Partial graft thrombosis occurs in about 25% of all cases. In this series, treatment with anticoagulant therapy (heparin and vitamin K antagonist) resulted in graft preservation in almost all cases. Show less