SpringfieldNewsSun.com

South Vienna, Ohio — A South Vienna woman is the first person to undergo an auto-islet cell transplant at the Ohio State University Medical Center.

Erin Snapp, 30, returned home from the hospital, Tuesday, Nov. 25, eight days after the complicated surgery that involved removing her pancreas and harvesting the attached islet cells necessary for the body to produce insulin. The harvested islet cells were infused into Snapp's liver where they will graft and mimic the function of the removed pancreas.

There are only two medical centers in Ohio, Columbus and Cincinnati that can process the removed pancreas on site, said Dr. Amer Rajab who conducted the transplant surgery.

"The procedure utilizes patients' own islet cells, which eliminates any threat of rejection and substantially reduces the risk of the patient developing diabetes," Rajab said. "The patient has potential for a much better quality of life."

Quality of life has been an issue for Snapp for as long as she can remember, suffering with debilitating pain and vomiting that caused her to miss long stretches of school as a child and days of work as an adult.

She was finally diagnosed with pancreatitis in 2000. The diagnosis brought her both relief and shame.

"Pancreatitis is usually associated with alcoholics, but I don't drink," she said. "A lot of times I was treated poorly in the emergency room because they thought I was an alcoholic that I did this to myself."

Genetic testing at the Cleveland Clinic concluded a dormant cystic fibrosis and a mutant gene caused a defect at birth. Snapp's sister has surgery induced diabetes due to having her pancreas taken out without the benefit of the islet transplant.

Snapp's prognosis is good but recovery will be slow as she is weaned off of years of high doses of pain medication, Rajab said.

"It's a very painful disease," he said, "It's amazing the amount of pain — very severe, continuous pain."

Snapp said it's hard to imagine what her life will be like without pain, but was already getting a taste of it.

"I feel better than I've felt in years," she said. "I'm anxious to get back to work. I'm an STNA (State Tested Nursing Assistant) and I'd like to go back to school in the medical field."

The timing of her surgery could not have been more perfect, she said.

"It's going to be New Years'. I'm ready to begin my new life."

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0347 or kmori@coxohio.com.