Management of Five Hundred Patients With Gut Failure at a Single Center: Surgical Innovation Versus Transplantation With a Novel Predictive Model.

To define the evolving role of integrative surgical management including transplantation for patients gut failure (GF). A total of 500 patients with total parenteral nutrition-dependent catastrophic and chronic GF were referred for surgical intervention particularly transplantation and comprised the study population. With a mean age of 45 ± 17 years, 477 (95%) were adults and 23 (5%) were children. Management strategy was guided by clinical status, splanchnic organ functions, anatomy of residual gut, and cause of GF. Surgery was performed in 462 (92%) patients and 38 (8%) continued medical treatment. Definitive autologous gut reconstruction (AGR) was achievable in 378 (82%), primary transplant in 42 (9%), and AGR followed by transplant in 42 (9%). The 84 transplant recipients received 94 allografts; 67 (71%) liver-free and 27 (29%) liver-contained. The 420 AGR patients received a total of 790 reconstructive and remodeling procedures including primary reconstruction, interposition alimentary-conduits, intestinal/colonic lengthening, and reductive/decompressive surgery. Glucagon-like peptide-2 was used in 17 patients. Overall patient survival was 86% at 1-year and 68% at 5-years with restored nutritional autonomy (RNA) in 63% and 78%, respectively. Surgery achieved a 5-year survival of 70% with 82% RNA. AGR achieved better long-term survival and transplantation better (P = 0.03) re-established nutritional autonomy. Both AGR and transplant were cost effective and quality of life better improved after AGR. A model to predict RNA after AGR was developed computing anatomy of reconstructed gut, total parenteral nutrition requirements, cause of GF, and serum bilirubin. Surgical integration is an effective management strategy for GF. Further progress is foreseen with the herein-described novel techniques and established RNA predictive model.