Intestinal transplantation

Advances in immunosuppressive treatment as well as better monitoring and control of acute rejection have brought intestinal transplantation (ITx) into the realm of standard treatment for permanent intestinal failure. The results from the intestinal Transplant International Registry (www.intestinaltransplant.org) indicate that ITx is currently an acceptable clinical modality for selected patients with permanent intestinal failure¹. The goal of this short review is to deal with indications, clinical results and complications of ITx. Although it has been used in humans for the past two decades, very few data are available regarding graft function and its monitoring.