The Center for Intestinal Care and Transplant

The Center for Intestinal Care and Transplant at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, the only program in the Nation’s capital and one of only a handful of Medicare-approved centers nationwide, offers new and successful surgical and medical options for adults and children suffering from disabling and life-threatening intestinal disorders and liver disease.

Once considered experimental, intestinal transplantation is now an important surgical therapy. Some of the most common disorders treated at the Center for Intestinal Care and Transplant include:

• Short Gut syndromes
• Malabsorption syndromes
• Motility Disorders
• Tumors of the Intestinal Mesentery

Patient survival rates

Under the team’s care, patient survival rates post-intestinal transplant are among the best in the world. This directly correlates to the team’s depth of experience and interdisciplinary approach to transplant management, as well as their dedication to state-of-the-art molecular diagnostics and clinical research into the field of transplantation.

On average, the time to independence from TPN is:

• About three weeks for patients who undergo an intestinal transplant
• Four to six weeks for patients who undergo multi-organ transplantation

Multi-disciplinary small bowel transplant team

In addition, the program offers a multi-disciplinary team that includes:

• Dedicated medical director and surgical director
• Nurse coordinator
• Nutritionist
• Research and data coordinators
• Social worker for both patients and families

Your transplant team will include:

• Transplant surgeon: This doctor will perform the small bowel transplantation. Your surgeon is the lead physician on your care, and will coordinate your care and answer all your questions.
• Transplant gastroenterologist (GI): your GI specializes in the care of patients with small bowel disease. Your GI will monitor your health during the transplantation process.
• Anesthesiologist: this physician will make sure your heart and lungs are healthy enough to undergo a transplant.
• Pre-transplant coordinator: this team member is a Registered Dietitian who will meet with you and answer all your questions. He or she will be your main contact, and will work with other members of the team to coordinate your care.
• Clinical transplant donor coordinator: your donor coordinator can help you understand the entire transplant process.
• Transplant social worker: your social worker will evaluate your ability to deal with the stress of a transplant as well as your social support system, including friends and family who can help you with the demands of a major surgery. Your social worker will also evaluate any substance abuse issues that may interfere with a healthy small bowel transplantation process.
• Transplant psychiatrist: this physician will evaluate you if the transplant social worker thinks it is necessary. He or she will make determinations about your mental health and determine if there are any substance abuse issues to manage.
• Financial coordinator: an expert in all the financial issues surrounding transplants, he or she will meet with you to discuss the costs associated with a transplant, as well as the cost of the medications you will need for the rest of your life to manage your new, healthy organ. He or she is available to answer any of your financial or insurance questions.
• Staff nurse: after surgery, you will have one nurse assigned to you who will manage your health in the surgical intensive care unit while you recuperate. He or she will prepare you for discharge and assist you in learning about how to manage all your medications.
• Post-transplant coordinator: After your transplant, your post-transplant coordinator will be your main point of contact for any questions you may have. This person will probably be a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, who will remain in contact with you and provide a level of support necessary to manage the care of your new, healthy organ.