University of Toledo Medical Center Performs First Pancreas Transplant

TOLEDO, Ohio — The University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC) has officially expanded its organ transplant services to include pancreas transplants, completing its first procedure last month. The successful surgery involved a pancreas and kidney transplant for 39-year-old Taylor Iceman, a resident of Mansfield, Ohio.

The hospital received approval to begin performing pancreas transplants in December of 2024. Just two months later, in February, Iceman became the first patient to undergo the combined transplant procedure. This development comes as part of the hospital’s ongoing efforts to enhance its transplant program, which already has a strong reputation for kidney transplants.

Iceman, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in his teenage years, had struggled with kidney function decline over the past two decades. By the time he required a kidney transplant, doctors advised that a pancreas transplant be performed simultaneously to address both his kidney disease and the underlying diabetes.

The pancreas, a crucial organ located in the abdomen, plays an essential role in digestion and the regulation of blood sugar. For patients with Type 1 diabetes, a pancreas transplant can not only improve their blood sugar control but also cure the disease that causes damage to the kidneys.

Dr. Kunal Yadav, a transplant surgeon at UTMC and the director of the new pancreas transplant program, explained the advantages of a combined transplant approach. “When we do a kidney transplant only in those patients, we’re not treating the disease that caused the damage in the first place,” said Yadav. “If we’re able to also give them a new pancreas, we’re curing their diabetes along with restoring kidney function. For a lot of patients, this is the best option.”

Dr. Charles Callahan, executive vice president for health affairs at the University of Toledo, expressed pride in the hospital’s expanded transplant services. “We are proud to expand our transplantation program and provide another life-saving treatment opportunity to our patients,” Callahan said in a press release. He also noted that UToledo Health’s kidney transplant program has earned national recognition, and the addition of pancreas transplants builds on that success.

For Iceman, the transplant represents a new chapter in his health journey. With the combined pancreas and kidney transplant, he not only has a chance to regain kidney function but also a potential cure for the diabetes that had impacted his life for years.

UTMC’s success in completing its first pancreas transplant positions the hospital as a leader in comprehensive transplant care, offering advanced treatments to patients with complex conditions.