The implantable peritoneal pump--a patient's perspective

Abstract

A participant in a study of implantable insulin pump therapy recounts his experiences with on-and-off use of the pump over the past 18 years. Christopher Witkowski, 55, first had a pump implanted in 1990. Despite occasional difficulties over the years, Witkowski reports that his overall experience has been extremely positive. With delivery of insulin directly into the peritoneal cavity, he feels better, has more flexibility in eating, and experiences fewer insulin reactions. Witkowski expresses disappointment that the manufacturer of the pump, Medtronic, no longer plans to seek Food and Drug Administration approval for this therapy. Witkowski expresses his hope that research on the device will continue, believing that this therapy could be of benefit to millions of diabetes patients. This article is accompanied by a detailed description of the pump refill procedure by Dr. Christopher Saudek of Johns Hopkins University, current leader of the ongoing research study.

Keywords: continuous; diabetes; implanted; insulin; peritoneal; pump.