Peter Schorsch
Tampa General Hospital (TGH) achieves another world’s first: a successful pancreas transplant utilizing first-of-its-kind technology from Paragonix.
The revolutionary case was led by Dr. Matthew Hunter Witt, transplant surgeon at the TGH Transplant Institute, using the Paragonix PancreasPak System, a new technology that preserves the donor pancreas during transportation.
“Our transplant team at Tampa General continues to achieve remarkable firsts like this one, which is another example of how we relentlessly innovate in order to provide patients with world-class health care,” Witt said.
Unlike most other transplant organs, the pancreas is extremely susceptible to damage during the transport process. To remain viable for donation, the pancreas has the best chance of survival at a temperature between 4 and 8 degrees. The traditional method of transporting organs in a cooler with crushed ice can expose the pancreas to freezing temperatures that harm the organ.
“For our patients who need a pancreas transplant, this transformative technology is a milestone given the unique challenges associated with transporting this particular organ,” Witt said. “It’s the latest in a long line of technical advancements adopted by our dedicated team, designed to enhance the lives of patients and their families in the Tampa Bay region, Florida and across the United States.”
The first successful transplant using the hypothermic storage unit was completed in October 2024. The donor organ survived 10 hours during its transport to reach a 40-year-old patient at Tampa General Hospital who has Type 1 diabetes. The operation led by Witt took roughly eight hours.
Pancreas transplant surgeries are not common due to the challenges in transportation, with about 900 performed in the United States annually. Compare that to the approximately 25,000 kidney transplants completed each year.
“Providing advanced organ preservation to this often-overlooked group of transplant patients marks an exciting breakthrough in patient care,” said Dr. Kiran Dhanireddy, Vice President and Chief of the TGH Transplant Institute and surgical director of the Comprehensive Liver Disease and Transplant Center at the TGH Transplant Institute. “Given the complexities associated with pancreatic transplant surgery, our team is thrilled to add this tool to optimize patient outcomes at Tampa General.”
Paragonix’s PancreasPak System is the first commercially available hypothermic preservation system for donor pancreases during transportation. The device works to retain a consistent, optimal temperature range for the organ’s survival, avoiding the risks associated with traditional transport methods. The device also reports the real-time transmission of temperature and location data to transplant teams, which provides medical staff with full visibility into the conditions of the pancreas during its transport.
“At Paragonix, we believe that all donor organs should receive the best possible preservation regardless of transplant volumes,” said Lisa Anderson, Ph.D., President of Paragonix Technologies. “Being able to provide pancreatic transplant health care professionals with the latest in organ preservation technologies, and to provide their patients with the most advanced care, is another step in our journey to deliver all transplant patients every possible advantage.”
Tampa General has been recognized as a national leader in advanced organ disease treatment and transplant surgery for more than 50 years. In 2023, Tampa General performed more than 750 transplants, setting records in both liver and kidney transplants.
The leading academic health system is among a few dozen hospitals in the United States to have performed more than 14,000 transplant surgeries since the inception of the program. Tampa General is also the only hospital in west central Florida to offer all five organ transplants — heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas — for adult patients, as well as pediatric kidney transplants.
