The pancreas eventually loses the ability to appropriately produce and release insulin, leading to a need for synthetic insulin.

Lifelong insulin injections are required to control blood sugar.

The narrow end of the pancreas, called the tail, extends to the left side of the body. The head of the pancreas is on the right side of the abdomen and is connected to the duodenum (the first section of the small intestine) through a small tube called the pancreatic duct. The pancreas is about 6 inches long and sits across the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach.