Intestinal Transplantation Workup
- Author: Stuart M Greenstein, MD; Chief Editor: Mary C Mancini, MD, PhD more...
Laboratory Studies
Pretransplant workup
The evaluation of a potential recipient needs to be done by a multidisciplinary team including transplant surgery, gastroenterology, nutritional services, psychiatry, social work, anesthesia, and financial services. Further consultation with other specialties may be required.
Laboratory studies should include CBC count, coagulation profile, complete metabolic panel, ABO blood group determination, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) status, panel reactive antibody status, and serologies for cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).
The GI tract should be assessed both radiologically and endoscopically. If liver disease is suspected, a liver biopsy should be performed.
Doppler ultrasonography or magnetic resonance venography should be performed to assess vascular access. Many patients will have at least one central venous stenosis or obstruction. Matsusaki et al reported no difference in recipient outcome between standard vascular access (percutaneous line via the upper body veins) and alternative vascular access (percutaneous line via the lower body veins; vascular access secured surgically, with interventional radiology, or using nonvenous sites).[9]
Patients with dysmotility disorders may require manometry of the stomach, esophagus, and rectum. Children with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) require a full neurologic and pulmonary workup to exclude the possibility of associated intraventricular hemorrhage and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Living related donor transplantation can be discussed as an option if a potential living related donor is available.
While on the waiting list, the stable patient should be frequently reassessed, with specific attention given to any change is their medical status, deterioration in liver function, or further loss of vascular access. These patients also need ongoing maintenance of their central lines to minimize line-related complications, such as infections and thrombosis.
Other Tests
Cadaveric donors
Although ABO-compatible donors can be used, ABO-identical donors are preferred in most circumstances because of the risk of graft versus host disease (GVHD). The size of the donor must be 50-75% of the size of the recipient. In certain circumstances, segments of the intestine from a larger donor may be considered.
The donors should have no previous history of significant intestinal pathology. As with all organ donors, no significant hemodynamic instability, sepsis, history of malignancy or chronic infection, severe hypoxia, or severe acidosis should be noted, and negative serology for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B and C is preferable.
The role of a crossmatch and HLA matching in intestinal transplantation is unclear.
CMV and EBV serologic status of the donors and recipients should be taken in consideration. Transplantation of a serologically positive donor into a serologically negative recipient for either of these viruses can have serious consequences. In addition to the risk of a systemic CMV infection, CMV enteritis can occur, which can lead to graft loss. A new EBV infection combined with posttransplant immunosuppression puts the patient at high risk for developing a posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD).
Living donors
A potential living donor also needs to be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team. As with any living donor procedure, possible complications including death should be explained in great detail. The living donor should have a complete workup, including CBC count, electrolytes, liver function tests, ECG, and chest radiography. The GI tract should be endoscopically evaluated, and, if any concerns are noted, GI contrast studies should be performed. The mesenteric vasculature should be studied to ensure that the terminal superior mesenteric artery and vein are adequate.
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