VCU Health Highlights Expertise in Rare Surgery for Chronic Pancreatitis During National Pancreas Awareness Month

RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of National Pancreas Awareness Month, VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center is spotlighting its nationally recognized expertise in Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Cell Autotransplantation (TP-IAT) — a highly specialized procedure that offers renewed hope for people living with chronic pancreatitis.

It is estimated that more than 250,000 people in the U.S. are affected by pancreatitis. When it becomes chronic, it develops into a painful and often debilitating condition that can severely limit quality of life, underscoring the need for advanced treatments like TP-IAT.

Only a handful of hospitals across the U.S. are equipped to perform TP-IAT, a complex surgery that removes the diseased pancreas while preserving the body's insulin-producing cells. With more than 100 procedures successfully completed, Hume-Lee Transplant Center ranks among the nation's most experienced centers, serving as a referral destination for patients throughout the East Coast and beyond. Moreover, the National Pancreas Foundation has approved Hume-Lee as one of their designated Centers of Excellence further establishing it as a premier healthcare facility.

"For patients who have exhausted every other treatment and still live in daily pain, TP-IAT can be life-changing," said Aamir Khan, M.D., medical director and surgical lead for the TP-IAT program. "Our experience allows us to guide patients safely through a very demanding procedure — and help them get back to living their lives pain-free."

The success of TP-IAT at Hume-Lee relies on close collaboration between surgery and science. The center's state-of-the-art islet cell laboratory, led by Mazhar Kanak, Ph.D., isolates and recovers each patient's own islet cells for transplantation. The islet cell lab at VCU has earned recognition as an Islet Isolation Center (IIC) under the Integrated Islet Distribution Program (IIDP) — a distinction shared by only a few facilities nationwide.

"Our designation allows us to support national research in islet biology and diabetes, while directly improving outcomes for our patients," said Kanak. "It's the best example of precision medicine in action."

For eligible patients, TP-IAT may relieve pain, reduce dependence on narcotics, and help maintain blood sugar control.

Hume-Lee's multidisciplinary program includes gastroenterologists, surgeons, endocrinologists, pancreas-specialized radiologists and advanced endoscopists — ensuring that each patient receives highly individualized support before, during, and after surgery.

For more information about VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center, visit: vcuhealth.org/transplant.

About VCU and VCU Health

Virginia Commonwealth University is a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research. Located in downtown Richmond, VCU enrolls more than 28,000 students in more than 200 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences and humanities across VCU's 12 schools and three colleges. The VCU Health brand represents the VCU health sciences academic programs, the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and the VCU Health System, which comprises VCU Medical Center (the only academic medical center in the region), Community Memorial Hospital, Tappahannock Hospital, Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, and MCV Physicians. The clinical enterprise includes a collaboration with Sheltering Arms Institute for physical rehabilitation services. For more, please visit vcu.edu and vcuhealth.org.

CONTACT: Caroline Ward 
VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center Public Relations 
Phone: 804-628-8578
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE VCU Health