Rare pancreas surgery offers Oxfordshire boy a chance at a pain-free childhood

Charlie Skidmore, a boy from Oxfordshire, has undergone a rare and complex pancreas operation, providing hope for children suffering from hereditary pancreatitis and potentially transforming long-term quality of life.

An Oxfordshire boy has undergone a rare and complex pancreas operation at Oxford University Hospitals, in a case that clinicians say could give him back a childhood once dominated by pain. Charlie Skidmore had the procedure, known as total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation, in March, after years of severe attacks linked to hereditary pancreatitis.

Hereditary pancreatitis is a rare inherited condition often caused by mutations in the PRSS1 gene, according to MedlinePlus Genetics. It can trigger repeated inflammation of the pancreas and, over time, progress to chronic disease. In Charlie’s case, the illness began when he was four, with episodes so severe that he needed emergency admissions, prolonged fasting and pain control. The Oxford Mail reported that his condition worsened sharply in September 2025, when leaking from the pancreas led to a collapsed lung and major weight loss.

The operation removed his pancreas, spleen and gallbladder. Surgeons then isolated insulin-producing islet cells from the pancreas and infused them into the liver, where they can settle and continue making hormones that help regulate blood sugar, according to specialist guidance from the National Pancreas Foundation and major children’s hospitals that perform the procedure. Charlie now lives with type 3c diabetes and still needs treatment, but his family says the surgery has ended the constant pain that had come to define daily life.

Charmaine Sadler, Charlie’s mother, said the procedure had “saved Charlie’s life” and allowed him to run, play football, swim and laugh with friends again. Dan Skidmore, his father, said: “We have our Charlie back.” The case highlights both the rarity of the operation and the growing use of TPIAT in selected patients with severe pancreatitis, where the aim is not only to remove the diseased organ but also to preserve enough islet function to improve long-term quality of life.