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Background: Intestinal transplantation (ITx) is the only causal treatment for complicated chronic intestinal failure after mesenteric ischemia and impending failure of parenteral supplementation. Isolated or combined ITx with the inclusion of the intestine is associated with demanding immunological, perioperative and infection associated challenges., Aim: The characterization of chronic intestinal failure, the indications, transplant survival, transplantation techniques and success rates., Material and Methods: Collection, summary and critical appraisal of international guidelines, the guidelines of the German Medical Chamber, and the international literature., Results: The first successful ITx were performed in 1987 and 1988 at the University of Kiel Germany and the University of Pittsburgh, USA. The number of ITx rose continuously but in phases from the end of the 1990s to over 200 per year but has currently decreased to 100-150 per year due to optimized intestinal rehabilitation. While the 1‑year and 3‑year transplant survival rates were 30% and 20% before 1991, they increased in phases up to 60% and 50%, respectively, after 1995 and have now achieved almost 80% and 70%, respectively., Conclusion: The substantial improvement in the results of ITx can be partly explained by progress in operative techniques, intensive care medicine and a better understanding of mucosal immunity; however, optimized strategies in immunosuppression as well as prevention of infectious diseases and malignancies have also made decisive contributions., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Background and Objective: Intestinal transplantation (ITx) is the only causal therapy of short bowel syndrome (SBS). Long-term survival after ITx has been improved significantly during the last years. The experience with ITx at the Charite, Campus Virchow Klinikum, are described and discussed., Patients and Methods: Twelve isolated ITx and one multivisceral transplantation (including stomach, pancreatodudenal complex, small intestine, liver, ascending colon, right kidney, and adrenal gland) were performed. Mean recipient age was 37.7+/-10.6 yrs (median: 35 yrs; range: 27 - 58 yrs; M:F = 8:5). All patients had irreversible SBS (0 - 30 cm residual bowel length; mean: 11.8+/-11.4 cm; median: 13 cm)., Results: 6-months and 1-year patient and graft survival were 85 % (11/13) and 77 % (10/13), respectively. Reasons for graft loss and patient death were necrotizing enterocolitis, severe, muromonab-resistent, acute rejection, and graft ischemia due to complex coagulopathy. All other patients had good long-term outcome. They received enteral nutrition at six hours after operation and were persistently off total parenteral nutrition (TPN) by week two after ITx., Conclusion: ITx as established in our centre, with 1-year-patient and graft survival rates of 77 %, reflects current international standard. ITx is complementary to conservative and other operative methods of treating SBS. Referral and indication criteria need wider dissemination to prevent life-threatening complications of TPN.

The short bowel syndrome is caused by the anatomical or functional loss of more than 75% of the small bowel. These patients are currently dependent upon long-term total parenteral nutrition (TPN), a treatment that has made much progress, but which is not devoid of complications and which alters the quality of life. Transplantation of a new bowel is the only curative treatment for this disease. But intestinal transplantation (Itx) is not yet considered as an alternative to TPN. Itx is rendered difficult by the immunological obstacles, in particular a vigorous rejection response and the capacity of the bowel graft to induce a graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Currently only profound and chronic immunosuppression is capable of controling this alloimmune response, but this is at the cost of infection, lymphoma and direct drug toxicity. For this reason Itx is currently rarely performed and usually seen as a "last chance" treatment for terminal patients with life-threatening complications of TPN. The last 10 years, there has been much research performed on Itx. Rejection and GVHD have been better characterized in small and large animal models. Some mechanisms of this alloimmune response have been delineated. Reproducible surgical techniques have been developed in large animal models. Immunomodulatory strategies have been developed that can help to control rejection and reduce the need for immunosuppression. The lessons learned from these experiments--in particular the surgical models that were developed and the immunomodulatory strategies that were designed--were applied in a clinical Itx programme. In October 2000 and in June 2002, 2 Itx were performed in patients with a short bowel syndrome and life-threatening liver failure caused by TPN. Both patients are doing well and have developed no episode of rejection or GVHD so far. This is despite the fact that they are receiving extremely low immunosupppression for this type of transplant. Currently those 2 patients are physically completely rehabilitated and can eat normally again.

After massive intestinal resection resulting in short bowel syndrome it is often unclear if the patient will remain on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) or regain enteral autonomy. Small bowel transplantation or bowel-lengthening procedures could potentially be a therapeutic option for patients confined to life-long parenteral nutrition. Initiated early in the course of the disease this could prevent frequent serious complications of long-term parenteral nutrition. However, it is unclear which factors determine the outcome of these patients. For further information on the long-term prognosis, data of 33 patients with short bowel syndrome operated in our institution from 1982 to 1995 were retrospectively analyzed and the present status of all living patients evaluated. Gender, age or underlying disease had no influence on the adaptation of the small intestine or the duration of TPN in the surviving patients. Return to enteral autonomy mainly depended upon the length of the remaining small and large bowel. Thus the further course of the disease can be predicted and necessary measures can be taken as this information is always available at the time of initial surgery.

Massive small bowel resection results in a short bowel syndrome, characterized by malabsorption, weight loss, diarrhea and steatorrhea. Different surgical techniques have been used to slow down intestinal transit time or to increase the area of absorption. Techniques for the deceleration of intestinal transit are reconstruction of the ileocecal-valve, antiperistaltic intestinal segments, colon interposition, recirculating intestinal loops and intestinal pacing. For increase of the area of absorption growth of neomucosa, mucosal autotransplantation, intestinal lengthening and small bowel transplantation have been performed. All these procedures are still at different experimental levels. Due to inconsistent results so far the surgical therapy of the short bowel syndrom cannot be recommended for routine use. However, some techniques offer hope of a successful surgical development.

Advances in medical and surgical technique and the development of home parenteral nutrition have led to an increasing number of patients with short-bowel syndrome. Many patients could benefit from definite surgical therapy as long-term parenteral nutrition besides being expensive frequently causes severe complications. Various techniques to prolongate intestinal transit and increase the absorptive area of the remaining small bowel have been experimentally developed and some have been successfully employed in humans. The recent discovery of new potent immunosuppressive agents has initiated clinical endeavours at intestinal transplantation. The various techniques for the surgical therapy of short-bowel syndrome with their indications and potential risks are reviewed.

For two years after surgical small-intestine duplication a 9-year-old boy with the short bowel syndrome had recurrent acidosis which caused severe failure to thrive. During the acidotic crises he had behavioural disorders, unsteady gait, indistinct speech, lid raising weakness with vision paresis and occasional somnolence. These signs disappeared after the aciduria had been treated with high doses of bicarbonate. D-lactic acidosis was finally diagnosed by simultaneously determining D-lactate (8.9 mmol/l [normal < 0.5]) and L-lactate (1.4 mmol/l [normal < 1.78]) during an episode of aciduria (pH 7.3, base excess -11.8 mmol/l). Further acidotic crises were prevented by a carbohydrate-modified diet, on which he gained 8 kg in one year.

The aim of the following study was to gain some insight into the functional characteristics of different portions of the small intestine after either partial resection or syngeneic and allogeneic transplantation 3 months postoperatively. Nutritional parameters (serum albumin levels, serum triglyceride levels, maltose absorption, excretion of fecal fat) and fat-stimulated neurotensin release were determined in Lewis rats that underwent small-bowel resection (n = 21), syngeneic (Lewis-->Lewis, n = 21), or allogeneic transplantation (Brown Norway-->Lewis, n = 24). The length of the remnant, isograft, or allograft was 27 cm (i.e., one-third of the rat small intestine) and consisted of the proximal (n = 7), middle (n = 7), or distal (n = 7) portion. Three postoperative deaths were due to ileus or pneumonia. After allotransplantation cyclosporine (15 mg/kg body wt. s.c.) was administered for graft acceptance. The control group was not operated upon, but was composed of weight- and age-matched Lewis rats (n = 7). We found that resection of two-thirds of the small intestine led to significantly lower levels of albumin and triglycerides in all three portions investigated (P < 0.01), but did not affect maltose absorption. Excretion of fecal fat was elevated significantly only after distal resection (P < 0.05). When compared to resected animals, syngeneic transplantation did not affect the nutritional parameters, but caused a significantly higher hormone release (P < 0.05) in all three different intestinal grafts. Allogeneic transplantation was successful when the middle or distal portion was grafted. All recipients of proximal allografts showed a severe loss of body weight and died between day 8 and 10 after transplantation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Report about a rare complication of gastroschisis by early volvalus. Following this occasionally the prenatal diagnosis there was a very ultrasonogram of a mostly solid tumour before the abdominal wall. The postpartal operative therapy with resection and later doubling according to Bianchi B described.

The problems of surgical technique, graft physiology and immunological reactions in small-bowel transplantation have been investigated in extended animal experiments. In these experiments, the fundamentals of a successful clinical application of small-bowel transplantation could be laid. A successful human small-bowel transplantation could be carried out by the Kiel Group for the first time in 1988. A graft which had been removed from a related donor showed a complete adaptation after 22 months, so that the patient became completely independent from parenteral nutrition. After that, in several cases small-bowel and combined liver and small-bowel transplantation have been carried out. Thus, the clinical small-bowel transplantation represents the causal therapy of short-bowel syndrome and should be developed in further clinical trials.

The advent of new and improved diagnostic methods has had favourable bearings on therapeutic achievements in paediatric surgery. Ultrasonography, computer tomography, manometry, and endoscopy are major examples of relevance. Prenatal diagnostic ultrasonography has been assuming a growing role in prenatal detection of malformations. Postnatal corrective surgery can thus be properly planned and performed under conditions which are optimum for mother and child. Many examples are given to demonstrate that in today's paediatric surgery possibilities for diagnosis and therapy have substantially improved, last but not least, owing to efficient interdisciplinary cooperation.

From 1985 to 1988, six patients suffered from short gut syndrome due to congenital malformations. The children were aged 4-24 months at the time of the operation in which the gut was doubled in length by a Bianchi procedure. It is necessary to interview the parents about their own and the child's psychological and physical stress during the pre- and postoperative periods. Collective reactions were found which must be considered for indication and time of operation.

Allogenic transplantation of small intestine has proved to be an alternative therapy for complex failure of intestinal functions. Attempts in that direction had been made over many years, but impressive were obtained only under conditions of modern immunosuppressive therapy. Hence, wider clinical application is imminent at an international scale. Reference is made in this paper to the authors' own experience obtained from mongrel dogs for an account of indications, surgical technique for collection of intestine and transplantation, perfusion and preservation of the donor organ as well as of various pathophysiological, functional, and immunological aspects. Results obtained at different centres are discussed, with reference being made to individual cases and clinical findings recorded from them. The survival rate of animals which have undergone transplantation of the small intestine provides evidence for the possibility of such organ transplantation and means a challenge to all involved in conventional intestinal surgery and modern medical transplantation.

The problems pertaining to the surgical therapy of the short bowel syndrome have not yet been solved despite numerous methods for the retardation of stool passage and the enlargement of the absorbent small intestinal surface. We therefore developed a model for the cultivation of neomucosa of endogenous origin on the perietal peritoneum of Wistar rats. In 191 young Wistar rats of each sex with a body weight of 200 to 500 grams, a loop of the small intestine was largely blocked off from the intestine with the help of Braun's anastomosis, opened up and thus sewed onto the parietal peritoneum of the laboratory animal. This led to the formation of a tube with two-thirds of the circumference consisting of small intestine and one-third of peritoneum. After the peritoneal part had been over-grown by neomucosa, the original jejunal part was removed and a tube consisting of perietal peritoneum with a muscular portion was formed around the neomucosal island. After another 4-5 months, a mucosal tube with complete neomucosal lining had formed. It was demonstrated by histological, enzyme histochemical and electron microscopy methods that the neomucosa is indeed a functioning small intestinal mucosa. Intragastric administration of a prostaglandin E2 analogue resulted in accelerated neomucosal growth as well as an increase in the height of the villi and the depth of the cryptae and a decrease in the thickness of the granular tissue. Measurements of the accumulation of 14C glucose and its inhibition by ouabain confirmed the active transport of the 14C glucose in the cell of the small intestinal neomucosa. The cultivation of functioning small intestinal mucosa on the perietal peritoneum of rats was thus accomplished.