Multi-Organ Transplant

Small Bowel Transplant

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Small bowel transplantation may be used to treat intestinal failure when other treatments, such as parental nutrition (TPN) are not successful. Intestinal failure can be caused by disease or trauma that affects how the intestine absorbs nutrients or moves food through the intestinal tract. If the intestine structure is damaged or there is a problem with the blood supply to the intestine, a transplant may be necessary to repair the damage and restore proper functioning.

UHN’s Small Bowel Transplantation Care Area
Small bowel transplantation is a very specialized care area, performing transplant surgeries involving the small bowel alone or with other organs:

	Small bowel alone
	Small bowel and liver
	Cluster transplant (small bowel, liver, pancreas, and stomach)

Candidates for transplantation will first undergo an evaluation process including tests and interviews with our transplant team. Our group includes a hepatologist, small bowel transplant surgeon, gastroenterologist, primary care nurse practitioner, enterostomal therapist, anesthetist, transplant coordinator, social worker, psychiatrist/psychiatric nurse, physiotherapist, and nutritionist. The team will be available to answer patient and family questions about the transplant process and will help patients make an informed decision about whether a transplant is right for them.

Leading a global effort to learn more about small bowel transplantation
Our team members are actively involved in research and education and maintain an International Intestinal Transplant Registry. This worldwide registry collects information from 55 different transplant centres about factors affecting survival, medication practices, age of patients and other statistics.

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