Is There a Role for Living Donor Intestine Transplants?

25 Years of a Standardized Technique for Living Donor Intestinal Transplantation: A Systematic Review

A safe, reproducible and standardized surgical technique for intestinal procurement and transplantation from a living donor (LD) was introduced in 1997 and has been used in the majority of cases since. The key principles are: 1. procurement of 180-200 cm of distal ileum in adults (about 60-150 cm in pediatric recipients depending on age and weight) on a vascular pedicle comprising the LD ileocolic vessels or terminal branches of the superior mesenteric vessels, 2. the terminal ileum (30-40 cm of the most distal ileum), the ileocecal valve and the cecum remain with the donor to not interfere with B12-absorption and bowel transit time, 3. systemic venous drainage with anastomoses between the LD ileocolic vessels and the recipient's infrarenal aorta and vena cava, and 4. restoration of recipient bowel continuity through proximal anastomosis and distal graft ileostomy for biopsy access and graft monitoring. Recipients of a successful LD intestinal transplant become total parenteral nutrition (TPN)-independent within a few weeks posttransplant. LD vs deceased donor (DD) intestinal transplants can be performed in a more timely fashion. Hence, LD (in contrast to DD) intestinal transplants are also pre-emptive procedures in patients with advanced, but still reversible, TPN-induced liver disease and help reduce the wait-list mortality for combined DD intestinal and liver transplants. Life-saving combined LD intestinal and liver transplants, albeit rare, have also been successfully performed either simultaneously or subsequently. There have been no reported deaths or major complications of living intestinal donors. A better metabolic profile has been reported in some donors post-donation. In total, 85 documented LD intestinal transplants have been performed worldwide at over 20 different transplant centers in 12 different countries. In about 70 transplants, the standardized technique was used. There has been no difference in outcome between LD vs DD intestinal transplants. Long-term studies have shown that > 10 year of graft function is not uncommon. Since the introduction of the standardized surgical technique, LD intestinal transplantation has evolved from an experimental to an established and standardized procedure.

Where are we at with short bowel syndrome and small bowel transplant

Intestinal failure can be defined as the critical reduction of functional gut mass below the minimal amount necessary for adequate digestion and absorption to satisfy body nutrient and fluid requirements in adults or children. Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is characterized by a state of malabsorption following extensive resection of the small bowel. SBS may occur after resection of more than 50% and is certain after resection of more than 70% of the small intestine, or if less than 100 cm of small bowel is left. Several treatment modalities other than total parenteral nutrition, including hormones (recombinant human growth hormone, glucagon-like peptide-2) and tailoring surgeries (Bianchi procedure, serial transverse enteroplasty), had been proposed, however these were either experimental or inefficient. Small bowel transplant is a rather new approach for SBS. The once feared field of solid organ transplantation is nowadays becoming more and more popular, even in developing countries. This is partially secondary to the developments in immunosuppressive strategy. In this regard, alemtuzumab deserves special attention. There are more complex surgeries, such as multivisceral transplantation, for multi-organ involvement including small bowel. This latter technique is relatively new when compared to small bowel transplant, and is performed in certain centers worldwide. In this review, an attempt is made to give an insight into small bowel syndrome, small bowel transplantation, and related issues.

Treatment of intestinal failure: intestinal transplantation

Over the past 15 years, intestinal transplantation for the treatment of intestinal failure has changed from a desperate last-ditch effort into a standard therapy for which a good outcome is expected. Patient survival after intestinal transplantation has improved in the past 3-5 years and now approaches that of other solid organ allograft recipients, including liver and kidney, and is similar to survival on permanent therapy with parenteral nutrition. Complications are more common and often more severe during the initial hospitalization period after intestinal transplantation than they are after transplantation of other solid organs. After intestinal transplantation the initial hospitalization period is, therefore, usually 3-8 weeks long. Nearly all patients discharged after intestinal transplantation have good allograft function and have been weaned from total parenteral nutrition. The cost of the initial hospitalization period is one to two times the cost of permanent total parenteral nutrition for 1 year, which means that, in most cases, intestinal transplantation is cost-saving within 2 years of transplantation. In addition, quality of life after intestinal transplantation, as determined by standardized quality of life measures, is good or normal.