EARLY CLINICAL AND HISTOLOGIC VIABILITY OF HUMAN LIVER SMALL-INTESTINAL ALLOGRAFTS AFTER IMPLANTATION

Our procedure for donor harvesting and preserving intestinal grafts ha s matured. In 27 consecutive cases, a protocol was established whose e ssentials consist of (a) selecting hemodynamically stable donors, (b) antibiotic pretreatment of the donor, and (c) short warm ischemic time s (<40 minutes). Assessment of graft quality can be achieved by daily inspection of stomas, inspection for diarrhea >2.5 1/day in adults or >300 ml in children, and weekly protocol or clinically directed endosc opic biopsies. Edema and microscopic separation of the mucosal surface and sloughing are routinely found during the first few post-engraftme nt days, but the crypt cells remain and regenerate a normal mucosa wit hin a week. Recovery of a normal mucosal surface took place in all cas es.