A 47-year-old Queens father has become the first person to receive a pancreas transplant on Long Island. Following a 10-hour combined kidney-pancreas operation, he no longer requires dialysis or insulin.
A 47-year-old Queens father has become the first person to receive a pancreas transplant on Long Island, marking an important expansion of transplant care in the region.
Carlyle Preudhomme Jr. underwent a simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset on 13 May 2026.
The operation lasted approximately 10 hours and was performed by Northwell Health’s kidney and pancreas transplantation team.
Only a few months after surgery, doctors reported that Preudhomme was no longer receiving dialysis or insulin and had normal blood sugar levels (
A Combined Transplant Treated Two Serious Conditions
Preudhomme had lived with Type 1 diabetes and later developed severe kidney failure. He was already waiting for a kidney transplant when Northwell Health received state approval to establish its pancreas transplantation program.
By the time donor organs became available, his kidney function had reportedly fallen below 5%. He required dialysis, while dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar repeatedly sent him to hospital.
The combined operation addressed both conditions. The donor kidney replaced the function of his failing kidneys and removed his need for dialysis. The donor pancreas restored insulin production and allowed his body to regulate blood glucose more normally.
Simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation is generally considered for carefully selected people with Type 1 diabetes who also have advanced kidney disease or kidney failure.
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Type 1 Diabetes Can Eventually Damage the Kidneys
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system destroys the pancreatic beta cells responsible for producing insulin.
Insulin allows glucose to move from the bloodstream into the body’s cells, where it can be used for energy. People with Type 1 diabetes therefore require daily insulin and regular blood-sugar monitoring to remain healthy.
Over time, persistently high blood glucose can damage blood vessels in the kidneys and reduce their filtering ability. Advanced diabetic kidney disease may eventually require dialysis or transplantation.
For selected patients facing both kidney failure and difficult diabetes management, transplanting the kidney and pancreas together can treat the two interconnected conditions during one operation.
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The New Pancreas Restored Insulin Production
A healthy pancreas contains clusters of cells called pancreatic islets. Beta cells within these islets release insulin in response to changes in blood glucose.
During a pancreas transplant, surgeons place a healthy donor pancreas inside the recipient. The patient’s original pancreas is generally left in place because it continues to produce digestive enzymes.
If the donor pancreas functions successfully, it can produce insulin and regulate blood sugar in a way that injections and pumps cannot reproduce perfectly.
Preudhomme’s doctors reported that he no longer required insulin following the operation and that his blood sugar had returned to normal levels.
However, transplantation is not considered a permanent cure for Type 1 diabetes. Recipients must take immunosuppressive medicines to prevent rejection, and the transplanted organ requires lifelong monitoring.
Diabetes, kidney failure and dialysis had disrupted Preudhomme’s daily life and forced him to pause his music career. Although dialysis sustained his life, the demanding treatment affected his routine, travel and independence.(1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Northwell Performs Long Island’s First Pancreas Transplant – Northwell Health
Several months after receiving kidney and pancreas transplants, Preudhomme remained free from dialysis and insulin. He said his return to normal life was progressing faster than expected and thanked the medical team for giving him a second chance.
Doctors described him as resilient and motivated—qualities that will support the lifelong medicines, laboratory testing and follow-up care required after transplantation.
Combined Transplantation May Improve Long-Term Outcomes
A successful simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant can provide freedom from dialysis, restore insulin production, stabilize blood sugar and reduce the risk of severe hypoglycemia.
For appropriately selected patients, the procedure may also improve long-term survival and slow the progression of certain diabetes-related complications.
Dr Nair said a combined kidney-pancreas transplant can substantially improve both lifespan and quality of life.
The benefit is not identical for every patient. Outcomes depend on age, cardiovascular health, severity of illness, surgical risk, graft function and adherence to post-transplant care.
Pancreas Transplantation Is Not Suitable for Everyone
Whole-pancreas transplantation is major surgery and is generally reserved for carefully selected patients.
Doctors may consider the procedure for people with Type 1 diabetes who need a kidney transplant or who experience severe blood-sugar instability despite intensive medical treatment.
Most people with Type 1 diabetes can manage their condition using insulin, continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps or automated insulin-delivery systems. For these patients, the risks of transplant surgery and lifelong immunosuppression may outweigh the potential benefits.
A transplant evaluation therefore examines cardiovascular health, infection risk, other medical conditions and the patient’s ability to follow a complex treatment plan.
Lifelong Anti-Rejection Treatment Is Required
The immune system recognizes donor organs as foreign and may attempt to destroy them. Transplant recipients must therefore take immunosuppressive medicines for as long as the donated organs continue to function.(1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Northwell Performs Long Island’s First Pancreas Transplant – Northwell Health
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These medicines reduce rejection risk but can make patients more vulnerable to infections and may cause high blood pressure, metabolic changes or kidney and liver problems. Long-term immunosuppression may also increase the risk of certain cancers.
Recipients require regular blood tests and medical assessments to monitor organ function, medicine levels, infection and possible rejection.
Normal blood sugar and freedom from dialysis are encouraging early results, but long-term success depends on continued graft function and consistent adherence to the transplant team’s guidance.
The Operation Expands Transplant Access on Long Island
Northwell Health received state approval to establish its pancreas transplantation program in December 2025.
Preudhomme’s operation was the first pancreas transplant performed on Long Island. The procedure represents both a personal milestone for the patient and an institutional milestone for North Shore University Hospital.
Previously, eligible Long Island patients may have needed to travel to transplant centers farther from home for evaluation, surgery and follow-up care. A regional program may make specialized treatment more accessible to patients and their families.
The achievement also reflects the extensive coordination required for transplantation. Surgeons, nephrologists, endocrinologists, anesthesiologists, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory teams and organ-procurement professionals must work together within a limited period after donor organs become available (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Northwell Performs Long Island’s First Pancreas Transplant – Northwell Health
Early Results Offer Hope, but Monitoring Must Continue
Preudhomme’s freedom from dialysis and insulin, together with normal blood sugar levels, represents an encouraging early outcome.
His recovery demonstrates how simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation can address two major consequences of Type 1 diabetes: the loss of insulin production and advanced kidney failure.
However, the procedure does not end medical care. Both transplanted organs require continued monitoring, and anti-rejection medicines must be taken consistently.
The significance of Long Island’s first pancreas transplant lies not only in completing a technically demanding operation, but in giving selected patients closer access to treatment that may transform survival, independence and everyday life.
References:
- Northwell Performs Long Island’s First Pancreas Transplant – Northwell Health (https://www.northwell.edu/news/the-latest/northwell-performs-long-islands-first-pancreas-transplant)
Source-Medindia