Percutaneous Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation

Percutaneous pancreatic islet cell transplantation is a promising cellular-based therapy for type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). This procedure involves portal venous injection of islet cells and affords 1-year insulin independence in up to 70 % of recipients. While transplant surgeons represent the historical drivers of islet therapy, requirement for image-guidance and transcatheter techniques has fostered collaboration with interventional radiologists (IRs), who play a significant role in clinical performance of islet transplantation. The following case reviews the procedural elements of islet cell transplantation with stepwise illustration of the interventional radiologic technique. The logistics involved in establishing and developing an islet cell transplantation program and the technical aspects of pancreatic organ harvest and islet cell isolation and preparation are beyond the scope of this chapter and will not be presented.