© 2001 SAGE Publications Living Related Small Bowel Transplantation
Intestinal transplantation recently became a valid therapeutic option for patients with irreversible intestinal failure. The vast majority of the intestinal transplants have been performed using whole intestinal grafts obtained from cadaveric donors, and fewer than 10% have been performed using segmental grafts obtained from living related donors. Intestinal living donation offers several advantages, such as minimized preservation injury, eliminating waiting time, optimal donor quality and better HLA matching and possibly reduced incidence of rejection, lower immunosuppression and side effects, possibility to decontaminate the graft prior to transplantation, and possibly reduced risk of infectious complications. In the last few years, a standardized technique has been proposed for living related small bowel transplantation (LR-SBTx). Utilizing such a technique, the authors performed a series of LR-SBTx in their center and evaluated these potential advantages. In this review, the authors summarize the worldwide experience with LR-SBTx, including their own.
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