Chronic pancreatitis affects as many as 1 in every 2,500 persons and is associated with incapacitating pain, frequent hospitalization and risk of narcotic dependence. This is a debilitating disease with limited treatment options; afflicted patients are often young or middle aged adults. The health and economic costs of pancreatitis are great. Nearly $300 million is spent on emergency department visits alone in the US each year. More than 90% of patients with chronic pancreatitis have been hospitalized, half use narcotic analgesics regularly, and one-fourth are on disability. The lifetime risk of diabetes mellitus is as high as 70%. This proposal addresses needs in two broad topic areas: pancreatitis, and diabetes. The investigators propose to investigate a new technique for implanting autologous pancreatic islet cells into patients undergoing surgery for acute recurrent or chronic pancreatitis in an effort to improve long-term diabetes control.
