The Transplant Office conducts three types of treatment, including kidney transplantation, simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation and pancreas transplantation.
Kidney transplantationÂ
A kidney transplant or renal transplant is the transplant of a kidney into a patient with end stage kidney disease. Kidney transplantation is typically classified as either a deceased donor or a living-donor transplantation, depending upon the source of the recipient organ.
Live donor renal transplants are characterised as genetically related (living-related) or non-related (living-unrelated) transplants, depending on whether a biological relationship exists between the donor and recipient.
Patients may obtain a live donor transplantation before commencing any form of dialysis.
Accessing a deceased donor organ is subject to the waiting list and clinical test results.
Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation Â
The kidney is transplanted together with the pancreas. This is performed in patients with diabetes mellitus type 1, in whom the diabetes is due to destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas and in whom the diabetes has caused renal failure (diabetic nephropathy). This is always a deceased donor transplant. For individuals with diabetes and renal failure, the advantages of earlier transplant from a living donor are approximately equal to the risks of continued dialysis until a combined kidney and pancreas are available from a deceased donor.
Pancreas transplantationÂ
As per the information provided above in number 2, pancreas-only transplantation is also conducted.
Monash Health is one of two hospitals in Australia delivering pancreas transplants to patients living in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Known as a Nationally Funded Centre Program, these highly specialised transplants are funded in full by all Australian State and Territory Governments.