Posted by Steve Santen on April 12, 1998 at 14:47:36:
In Reply to: How do I get islets for my daughter? posted by Jeff Hitchcock on April 12, 1998 at 13:58:38:
Jeff:
Good question.
I know that you are a resident of the United States so I will premise some of my answer based upon your residence. A transplant such as the one you propose is currently illegal in the US. The only people with approval to do clinicals is the good folks from Vivorx. Any others would loose their medical liscense for participating in the procedure. So the first part of the answer to your question lies in finding a country that is agreeable to performing the surgury on a no questions asked basis. Such countries are available all you need is time to find them.
The second part would be to assemble a team that know the ins and outs of the islet transplant field that would be willing to travel to implant your daughter. These would be people from University of Toronto, Minnesota, Miami, Alberta, Giessen Germany, St. Louis, and others. Then after coordinating the transfer of the islets and necessary equipment to a foriegn site, proceed with implantation. Expect to repeat the process in two to four years for a "fillup".
Steve Santen
PS I read the article on your site in the Cincinnati Enquirer. Your are as informative as most regarding the prospects for islet transplants.