Intestinal transplantation in children

: A long period of experimental work has allowed to study successively hypothermic preservation of the small bowel, autotransplantation and finally allotransplantation. After this initial phase of experimental surgery, a certain number of intestinal transplantations in humans could be attempted as cyclosporine became available. Following a brief of report of 3 intestinal transplantations recently performed by the group of the hopital des Enfants-Malades in Paris, indications for intestinal transplantation are provided. Subtotal resections of the small bowel in children or adolescents and extensive resections in neonates account for most of the indications. Despite significant progress, further advances in intestinal transplantation need to be made, because the small bowel poses unique problems in that it seems to represent a compendium of all the particularities and difficulties of other organ transplantations.