2009. ... [A]bout 60 percent of transplant recipients achieved insulin independence—defined as being able to stop insulin injections for at least 14 days—during the year following transplantation. By the end of the second year, 50 percent of recipients were able to stop taking insulin for at least 14 days. However, long-term insulin independence is difficult to maintain, and eventually most recipients needed to start taking insulin again. The report identified factors linked to better outcomes for recipients, including age—35 years or older lower pre-transplant [serum] triglyceride, or blood fat, levels lower pre-transplant insulin use The report noted that even partial function of the transplanted islets can improve blood glucose control and reduce the amount of insulin needed after loss of insulin independence. A study in 2022 showed that of the 255 patients receiving transplantation between 1999 and 2019, the median graft survival time was 5.9 years. 61% was insulin independent at 1 year after surgery, 32% at 5 years, 20% at 10 years, 11% at 15 years, and 8% at 20 years. The major problem limiting islet transplantation therapy for type 1 diabetic individuals is the lack of organ donors. Citing the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, a NIDDK webpage says that "in 2011 there were about 8,000 deceased organ donors available in the United States. However, only 1,562 pancreases were recovered from donors in 2011. Also, many donated pancreases are not suitable for extracting islets for transplants because they do not meet the selection criteria, and islets are often damaged or destroyed during processing. Therefore, only a small number of islet transplants can be performed each year. "Since 2000, Several hundred people have received islet transplants, by a year after transplant, 50 - 68% of patients do not need to receive additional insulin, but by five years after the procedure, fewer than 10% of total patients are free of daily insulin supplementation." References Further reading Shapiro AMJ, Lakey JRT, Ryan EA, Korbutt GS, Toth E, Warnock GL, Kneteman NM, Rajotte RV. Islet transplantation in seven patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus using a glucocorticoid-free immunosuppressive regimen. N Engl J Med. 2000;343:230-238. Saffitz JE, Schmidt RE, McDaniel ML. Dr. Paul Eston Lacy, 1924–2005. American Journal of Pathology. 2005;167:299-300. Ryan EA, Paty BW, Senior PA, Bigam D, Alfadhli E, Kneteman NM, Lakey JR, Shapiro AM. Five-year follow-up after clinical islet transplantation. Diabetes. 2005 Jul;54(7):2060-9. Sutherland DE, Gruessner RW, Gruessner AC. Pancreas