University of Virginia Health System

Pancreas Transplantation

Referral and Evaluation

The process of care for pancreas transplantation is a journay of four parts: the referral, the evaluation, the listing and wait period and post-transplant care.

Referral for Transplantation

The process of transplant evaluation begins with a referral to the transplant program. Your family doctor or a specialist may make a referral for you or you may initiate the process yourself by contacting our referral coordinator (at 800-543-8814). The coordinator will begin to collect basic information from you and will contact a financial counsellor in oder to begin to assess and advise you on basic financial questions and initiate contact with any relevant insurers.

The Evaluation

The evaluation process begins with a visit to the Transplant clinic. The Transplant Team evaluates new transplant candidates in its clinic on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It is helpful for us to receive medical records prior to this visit (including a history and physical exam along with any diagnostic study performed recently, such as chest x-ray, heart test or blood studies).

The initial visit consists of a classroom session in which all aspects of pancreas transplantation are discussed in an informal group setting. Patients then meet individually with members of the transplant team, including: the Endocrinologist, Nursing Coordinator, Financial Coordinator, Social Worker and Nutritionist. The evaluation is thorough and will take several hours to complete. The results of the evaluation are shared with the patient and the patient’s physician(s), resulting in a prescribed program of care, findings on the suitability of transplant and next steps in the process.