Intestinal Transplant

Intestinal Transplant

Evaluation
Procedure
Recovery

Evaluation

If your child has been referred for an intestinal transplant, he or she will complete an evaluation process with our transplant team to be sure that intestinal transplant is an appropriate treatment for your child. During the evaluation process, your child's medical history will be recorded and he or she will complete a thorough medical examination. You and your child also will have consultations with our doctors, nurses, dieticians, child life specialist and social worker. Your child also will have a variety of tests, which may include, but are not limited to:

• Upper gastrointestinal and small bowel X-ray series
• Barium enema
• Endoscopy/Colonoscopy
• Abdominal CT scan
• Motility studies
• EKG and echocardiography
• Ultrasound of the circulatory system
• Blood tests for liver function, electrolytes, kidney function and antibodies to certain viruses
• Additional tests that help determine the potential of your child's intestine to improve or determine the success of transplantation, if needed

During the evaluation period, our team will provide you and your child with detailed information about intestinal transplant and what to expect after surgery. During this time, you'll also have an opportunity to discuss any questions you may have about the procedure.

Waiting List

After your child completes the evaluation process and tests, the results will be carefully reviewed and discussed by the intestinal transplant team and transplant selection committee. They will determine whether your child is an appropriate candidate for intestinal transplant.

If your child qualifies for an intestinal transplant, he or she will be placed on the intestinal transplant waiting list, which is maintained by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). UNOS is responsible for deciding how organs will be allocated to people in the United States. Intestines are allocated by wait time, except in some special cases when transplant may be an emergency. Wait time for all organ transplants depends on the availability of organs and number of people on the waiting list. Intestinal transplant recipients may wait for six months or more to receive a transplant once they are placed on the waiting list.

When an organ becomes available, your child will be asked to come to UCSF Children's Hospital where he or she will be evaluated by a doctor on the transplant team and undergo a few more tests to be sure that your child's medical condition has not changed. It is important to remember that occasionally a transplant recipient may be called into the hospital for surgery for a "false alarm," when the organ offered to them is determined unsuitable. In such cases, patients are sent home, but retain their position on the waiting list and will be offered the next available suitable organ.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated May 8, 2007