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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
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Published on: August 20, 2007
Pattern of growth after pediatric living-donor small bowel transplantation
Marian Porubsky1, Giuliano Testa, Eunice John
1Division of Transplantation, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.
Insights
Living-donor intestinal transplantation (LDSB) in children can achieve long-term survival and independence from parenteral nutrition. However, catch-up growth for height and weight Z-scores is not typically observed post-transplant.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric surgery
- Gastroenterology
- Transplantation immunology
Background:
- Intestinal failure in children often necessitates intestinal transplantation.
- Living-donor intestinal transplantation (LDSB) offers a potential solution for end-stage intestinal failure.
- Assessing post-transplant growth is crucial for evaluating the long-term outcomes of LDSB.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the linear growth and Z-score changes for height and weight in children following LDSB.
- To determine if catch-up growth occurs after living-donor intestinal transplantation in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of three pediatric patients who underwent LDSB.
- Inclusion of 150 cm of terminal ileum during transplantation.
- Mean follow-up duration of 27 months post-transplantation.
Main Results:
- Height increased from a mean of 82.5 cm to 97.5 cm.
- Height Z-score showed minimal change (-2.679 to -2.675).
- Weight increased from 11.4 kg to 14.2 kg, but weight Z-score decreased (-1.916 to -2.409).
Conclusions:
- LDSB can achieve long-term survival and independence from total parenteral nutrition (TPN).
- While some linear growth may occur, significant catch-up growth in height and weight Z-scores is not observed.
- Further studies with larger cohorts are needed to confirm these findings.
Abstract:
The aim of our study was to analyze growth in children who underwent LDSB. The question was whether these children obtain linear growth and improvement of the Z-score for height and weight after the transplant. Three children with a mean age of 24 months underwent living-donor intestinal transplantation with 150 cm of terminal ileum. At a mean follow-up of 27 months height increased from 82.5 to 97.5 cm although Z-score for height did not improve, -2.679 to -2.675. Mean weight increased from 11.4 to 14.2 kg while Z-score for weight went from -1.916 to -2.409. Although these data are pertinent to only three children and the follow-up is slightly longer than two yr, it appears that while long-term survival and independency from TPN is achieved, only linear growth might be expected and catch-up growth does not occur.
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