Alva Review-Courier -

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An Albuquerque hospital has begun offering pancreas transplants, a procedure that previously was not available in New Mexico.

The Albuquerque Journal reports a medical team with Presbyterian Healthcare Services successfully performed the first pancreas transplant in the state last year.

Dr. Hannah Choate, the transplant surgical director for Presbyterian, says the procedure is not new but it's new to the state.

The pancreas produces insulin that's vital for the body in processing carbohydrates. When the organ doesn't operate properly, it can cause kidney failure and Type 1 diabetes.

Choate says the pancreas transplant program was developed over about two years.

Choate says Presbyterian expects to perform only two or three pancreas transplants each year due to the patient risks and the organ-screening process.

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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com