Question about a pancreas.

[Rob43]

Can someone live without a pancreas? Someone told me the other day that when the pancreas is not working the person cann't live.


Thanks, Rob

[princesslinda]

Interesting question Rob. We see T1's here all the time who live without a properly functioning pancreas, depending on insulin. I'm not sure if it would be the same if someone had no pancreas at all though.

[sarahspins]

I'm not sure if it would be the same if someone had no pancreas at all though.

It's not... the pancreas is responsible for producing a number of other hormones and digestive enzymes, not just insulin. Digestion in general is compromised, even with replacement therapy.

So, you CAN live without a pancreas, but you would be dealing with a situation a bit more complex than traditional T1, and it requires a bit more care and supervision by a doctor.

[Rddoms]

The fact of the matter is you can't live without a pancreas, period. Though the endocrine part of the pancreas is messed up in diabetes, the exocrine pancreas allows you to digest your food (pancreatic juice). If you don't have exocrine pancreas function, you will not be able to get the nutrients your body needs, and you will die of malnutrition (source: the professor who teaches Internal Medicine at my medical school).

[foxl]

Yes but I believe in cases of pancreatic cancer they DO remove a huge portion of it ... and replace the exocrine enzymes.

http://www.surgeryencyclopedia.com/La-Pa/Pancreatectomy.html

[Rddoms]

Quite right! I was assuming no enzyme replacement in my statement. I have a hard time believing that there is only a 5-10% mortality with a Whipple procedure though. That seems way too low, but is great if it is true.

[lorilei]

stirring question..i have no idea but i always equivocated (hey is that a word?) with the liver..both are ultimately important but a step or so down from the heart and lungs...

[Maddogg]

If Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers known to man (also very fast acting) than I would imagine being without a pancreas could only be worse. :confused:

[DeusXM]

I don't think it's possible to live without any organ, except for maybe the appendix and possibly the spleen. Any maybe the eyes, if you could those as organs. Evolution means your body doesn't really have anything to spare, so it's all pretty much essential.

Obviously you can replace some of the functions of organs if they are removed but that just underlines how important each organ is.