Small bowel
What you need to know before and after a small bowel transplant
What is a bowel transplant?
A bowel transplant is a treatment option for some patients who have bowel failure or other complex abdominal (tummy) issues. One of the most common reasons for a bowel transplant is long-term bowel failure in patients who need intravenous feeding (also known as parenteral nutrition or PN). There are many other reasons why a bowel transplant might be a treatment option.
Intestine is another word for bowel. The intestines can be divided into the small bowel (small intestine) and the large bowel (large intestine).
During a bowel transplant, the bowel is removed from one person (the donor) and given to another person (the recipient). The bowel is most commonly donated from those who have died (deceased donors). A small bowel transplant from a living donor is rare.
What is a multivisceral transplant?
A multivisceral transplant is a treatment option for some patients with a number of different abdominal (tummy) problems. This is when the bowel is transplanted along with one or more other organs such as the liver, stomach or pancreas.
Some patients have a tumour that is very difficult to remove at operation. If this tumour were to be removed it would mean that the patient’s bowel would be cut out with it. In this situation sometimes your doctor might ask the bowel transplant team to see if the tumour could be removed and the bowel replaced at the same time.
Some patients may have liver disease and need a liver transplant. For some patients one of the blood vessels that is needed to allow a liver transplant to be achieved is blocked, this can mean that a liver transplant by itself is impossible. In this situation your doctors might ask the bowel transplant team to see if the liver could be transplanted together with a bowel.
What information is available to me?
This website is designed for patients who may need a bowel transplant, a multivisceral transplant, or other types of transplants that include a bowel transplant.
More information on types of bowel transplant can be found in the links below.
Getting started
Get information on why you might need a bowel transplant and what tests are involved.
Benefits and risks
Learn about how a bowel transplant can help, possible complications and warning signs.
Waiting for a bowel transplant
Find out about deceased donors, waiting times and the offering process.
At the transplant centre
Find out about getting admitted to hospital, transplant surgery and when you can go home.
Living with a transplant
Discover the best ways to stay mentally and physically healthy after a transplant.
Care and support
Find out about support groups and getting help for depression or anxiety.
Bowel transplant facts and stats
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Talk to your bowel doctor (gastroenterologist)
If you have any questions about bowel transplantation, please speak to your care team who will be able to offer guidance and advice.
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and the British Transplantation Society (BTS) update these pages regularly to reflect current UK organ donation and transplantation policies and practice. However, this website is not designed to replace discussions with the transplant teams caring for you. Your transplant team know you and your medical condition best and can give you more detailed information to inform and support your decisions. NHSBT and the BTS do not accept any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage caused to any persons as a result of any reliance placed upon, or decisions made as a result of, information given on this website.