Nutritional outcome and growth of children after intestinal transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine nutritional outcome and growth in children after successful intestinal transplantation.


METHODS
Case-record review was conducted of all children who underwent intestinal transplantation at a single center and retained their grafts for at least 1 year. Supplementary data were obtained from outpatient charts and computerized database.


RESULTS
Forty-seven intestinal transplants were carried out in 46 children. There were 19 isolated small bowel and 29 combined liver--small bowel transplant procedures. Median age at transplantation was 3.7 years (range, 0.4 to 16.6 years), and median graft survival time was 1,084 days (range, 368 to 3308 days). Nine patients died, and there were 11 graft losses, including those of the nonsurvivors. All survivors with functioning grafts receive all of their calories via the enteral route. There was significant inhibition of linear growth at the time of transplant in the majority of recipients. After successful transplantation, pretransplant growth velocity appeared to be maintained, but there was no evidence of catch-up growth.


CONCLUSIONS
Intestinal transplantation allows an opportunity for full enteral feedings to be established. There is evidence of severe inhibition of linear growth at the time of transplantation with no evidence of catch-up after transplantation.
Iyer
Kishore
K
Section of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
Horslen
Simon
S
Iverson
Angie
A
Sudan
Debra
D
Fox
Ira
I
Shaw
Byers
B
Langnas
Alan
A
D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome