My 77 year old mother had open heart surgery about a month ago, and we have been told that her right side of her pancreas is not working. What can be done for mom to live? Would an insulin pump help her? If not, what would?

I am not sure what would have been the cause of your mother’s injury to her pancreas. It may have been pancreatitis or a vascular occlusion that damaged her pancreas. The end result is she may need to be supplemented with insulin if her blood sugars rise. There is a chance that the pancreas may be able to make some insulin, and this may or may not be enough to control the sugars. If not, the medical team treating her can give her insulin.

The pancreas also makes enzymes that are required for appropriate digestion of food. These can also be supplemented, if needed. I do not think the decision for an insulin pump is the primary issue. Rather, what the original cause of the damage was is most likely the most significant hurdle to overcome.

JTL