See this poll on: https://poll.fm/4980432/embed
Give others the chance to vote.
Share this poll, because the more votes the better.
Create your own.
Opinions! We all have them. Find out what people really think with polls and surveys from Crowdsignal.
closed
I'd do it in a heartbeat if the pump were pumping insulin directly into a vein, preferably the renal vein. I find the erratic absorption of subcutaneous insulin to be a huge factor in my trouble maintaining my blood sugar, especially on long car rides or other times when I'm particularly inactive. Note that I find similar issues with testing subcutaneous interstitial fluids in continuous glucose monitoring technology. It's all about the blood.
Delivering insulin into the blood and continuously testing blood will be a necessary factor in a reliable artificial pancreas. I would not trust my life with any automated device that relies either on subcutaneous insulin delivery or subcutaneous fluid testing. Neither is adequate to the task.
How many respondents were there to this poll? I'd definitely get a pump if it was reliable.
Given the incredible benefits of first pass insulin extraction from delivery into the peritoneum...you bet. Can someone investigate the cost to US patients to travel to France for the implant and maintenance. If they are not going to offer it here...maybe we should go to France!
I couldn't possibly make a decision without knowing more about what the implantable pump requires in terms of day-to-day use. Does it need to be programmed and activated like an external pump? If so, you still need to carry around a gadget, even if there is nothing plugged into your belly. Does it merely deposit the insulin into fat tissue, or does it go into the portal vein like a normal pancreas? Portal vein delivery would be a big plus in terms of having normal insulin function and preventing peripheral hyperinsulinemia. Going to the doc for refills would be inconvenient -- changing a set and reservoir for the external pump is really not that big a deal, and can be done on your own time. And you would have to be really attentive to your blood sugars with the implantable pump, because you would have no warning if it had a problem -- with the external pump, at least you get no delivery alarms, and low reservoir alarms.
So there are pros and cons to the idea. Best thing would be if it were developed as part of an artificial pancreas, and were as reliable as heart pacemakers have become. Some day....