title: Current status of intestinal and multivisceral transplantation.
abstract: Clinical-nutritional autonomy is the ultimate goal of patients with intestinal failure (IF). Traditionally, patients with IF have been relegated to lifelong parenteral nutrition (PN) once surgical and medical rehabilitation attempts at intestinal adaptation have failed. Over the past two decades, however, outcome improvements in intestinal transplantation have added another dimension to the therapeutic armamentarium in the field of gut rehabilitation. This has become possible through relentless efforts in the standardization of surgical techniques, advancements in immunosuppressive therapies and induction protocols and improvement in postoperative patient care. Four types of intestinal transplants include isolated small bowel transplant, liver-small bowel transplant, multivisceral transplant and modified multivisceral transplant. Current guidelines restrict intestinal transplantation to patients who have had significant complications from PN including liver failure and repeated infections. From an experimental stage to the currently established therapeutic modality for patients with advanced IF, outcome improvements have also been possible due to the introduction of tacrolimus in the early 1990s. Studies have shown that intestinal transplant is cost-effective within 1-3 years of graft survival compared with PN. Improved survival and quality of life as well as resumption of an oral diet should enable intestinal transplantation to be an important option for patients with IF in addition to continued rehabilitation. Future research should focus on detecting biomarkers of early rejection, enhanced immunosuppression protocols, improved postoperative care and early referral to transplant centers.
authors.affiliation: Center for Gut Rehabilitation and Transplantation, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Shishira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bharadwaj
authors.affiliation: Center for Gut Rehabilitation and Transplantation, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Parul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tandon
authors.affiliation: Center for Gut Rehabilitation and Transplantation, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Tushar D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Gohel
authors.affiliation: Center for Gut Rehabilitation and Transplantation, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Center for Gut Rehabilitation and Transplantation, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Ezra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Steiger
authors.affiliation: Center for Gut Rehabilitation and Transplantation, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Donald F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.affiliation: Center for Gut Rehabilitation and Transplantation, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Ajai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khanna
authors.affiliation: Center for Gut Rehabilitation and Transplantation, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA abuelmk@ccf.org.
authors.forename: Kareem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abu-Elmagd
keywords: gut rehabilitation; intestinal failure; intestinal transplant; multivisceral transplant; parenteral nutrition