Combined renal and pancreatic transplantation: effects on advanced diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy.

In this study of 24 uremic diabetic patients treated with combined kidney and pancreas transplantation, the one year patient, kidney and pancreas graft survival was 96, 78 and 55%, respectively. In recipients followed for three months or more, a regression of neuropathy was registered in all patients, whereas improvement in visual acuity was seen only in two patients with simplex type retinopathy. The advanced proliferative retinopathy observed in most recipients at the time of transplantation, was not significantly altered after pancreas and kidney transplantation.