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Updated: May 22, 2026
Tissue Engineering of the Intestine in a Murine Model
Published on: December 1, 2012
Pediatric intestinal failure and vascular access
1Department of Surgery and Center for Advanced Intestinal Failure, Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, Fegan 3, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. biren.modi@childrens.harvard.edu
Insights
Advances in intestinal failure (IF) care have significantly improved patient survival rates to over 90%. Specialized, multidisciplinary approaches are crucial for managing these complex cases effectively.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- Surgical Innovation
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Intestinal failure (IF) patients represent a complex group requiring specialized care.
- Historically, IF management posed significant challenges to patient prognosis.
- Recent advancements have transformed the outlook for IF patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight recent developments in IF patient care.
- To underscore the importance of multidisciplinary approaches.
- To discuss innovations improving IF patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent advancements in parenteral and enteral nutrition.
- Evaluation of novel treatments for IF-associated liver disease (IFALD), including fish oil.
- Assessment of strategies for managing catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CABSI), such as ethanol lock therapy.
- Analysis of new surgical interventions like serial transverse enteroplasty (STEP).
Main Results:
- Survival rates for IF patients now exceed 90% due to improved care.
- Parenteral fish oil shows promise in managing IFALD.
- Ethanol lock therapy is effective in preventing/treating CABSI.
- Surgical options like STEP offer new avenues for treatment.
Conclusions:
- The field of intestinal failure care is rapidly evolving with promising outcomes.
- Multidisciplinary, specialized care is paramount for complex IF patients.
- Continued innovation in nutrition, infection control, and surgery will further enhance patient prognosis.
Abstract:
Emerging developments in the care of intestinal failure (IF) patients have drastically improved their overall prognosis, with recently reported survival rates over 90%. IF patients remain an extremely complex population who benefit from specialized, multidisciplinary care. Advances in the provision of parenteral and enteral nutrition, progress in the management of IF-associated liver disease with parenteral fish oil and catheter-associated blood stream infection with ethanol lock therapy, and the availability of novel surgical interventions, such as the serial transverse enteroplasty procedure, have made this a dynamic health care field with the promise of ongoing improvements in outcomes for these patients.
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