Australia’s first liver–intestinal transplant

With the completion of the first liver–intestinal transplant in Australia in July 2010, the Austin Hospital in Victoria became one of only 35 active centres worldwide to offer this life-saving procedure to patients with irreversible intestinal failure and associated life-threatening complications of parenteral nutrition.

A 32-year-old man was initially referred to our centre in 2005 after the progression of multiple complications of long-term parenteral nutrition (PN) for short gut syndrome. He had concomitant bilateral hydronephrosis and dilated renal pelvises, suggesting a visceral myopathy. A long-strip rectal biopsy confirmed hypoganglionosis.