An analysis of intestinal transplant in the United States

We performed a retrospective analysis of intestinal transplant patients from United States transplant centers using The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network of Organ Sharing (OPTN/UNOS) registry. A total of 2164 intestinal transplants were performed in the United States between 1990 and the end of 2011 and were reported to UNOS. Gender, ethnicity, age at transplant, and original disease had little impact on intestinal allograft survival. We found that a shift in the type of transplant operation [intestine alone, intestine plus liver (I+L), or intestine plus liver and pancreas (I+L+P)] away from I+L, starting in 2005, led to better outcomes. Transplants including the stomach had significantly worse graft survival, and often were performed with the I+L+P method. Even though the outcomes of co-transplant of stomach methods, especially the I+L+P method were shown not to be favorable, in reality, the number of patients receiving the operation is still increasing. Despite the overall improvement in graft survival for intestinal transplants over the last 2 decades, within the 2 decades there is a different story. Graft survival after 2005 compared to seven years before 2005 has not improved. Going forward, there is still significant room for improvement in intestinal transplantation. Based on the improvements over the past 2 decades, there is hope that in the next 2 decades, intestinal transplant will reach the success of renal, cardiac, and liver transplantation.