Multivisceral and Small Bowel Transplantation at Shiraz Organ Transplant Center

BACKGROUND Multivisceral transplantations were initially done in animal models to understand the immunological effects. Later on, in human beings, it has been considered a salvage procedure for unresectable complex abdominal malignancies. With advancement in surgical techniques, availability of better immunosuppressive drugs, and development of better post-operative management protocols, outcomes have been improved after these complex surgical procedures. OBJECTIVE To analyze and report results of multivisceral, modified multivisceral, and small bowel transplantations done at Shiraz Organ Transplant Center, Shiraz, southern Iran. METHODS Medical records of all patients who underwent multivisceral, modified multivisceral, and small bowel transplants were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS There were 18 patients. The most common indications for the procedure in our series were unresectable carcinoma of pancreas followed by short bowel syndrome. 10 patients were alive after a median follow-up of 8.7 (range: 3-32) months. The remaining 8 patients died post-operatively, mostly from septicemia. CONCLUSION Multivisceral and small bowel transplantations are promising treatments for complex abdominal pathologies.