Intestinal transplantation for children with short bowel syndrome

Intestinal transplantation has emerged as a feasible alternative in the treatment of children with short gut syndrome. The challenges in the management of these patients include maintaining a tight balance between the degree of immunosuppression necessary to prevent graft-versus-host disease and rejection. At the same time, this amount of immunosuppression is associated with a high risk for lymphoproliferative disorders and intestinal-derived sepsis. Current 3-year patient and graft survival rates are 55% and 50%, respectively. The indications, morbidity, and timing for referral are discussed.