B Acad Nat Med Paris
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The transplantation of multiple abdominal viscera including liver-duodenum-pancreas, liver-stomach-duodenum-pancreas, and liver-intestine is being performed with increasing frequency and success. These procedures and other variations are derived from a seldom used multivisceral operation in which all of the foregoing organs are transplanted in bloc. It is described here how the full multivisceral transplantation and its less extensive derivatives are based on the same principles of procurement, preservation, and postoperative management. ⋯ Even with avoidance of rejection and GVHD, metabolic interrelations between the grafted organs, and also between the graft organs and retained recipient viscera can affect the fate of the individual transplanted organs or retained recipient organs. The best delineated of these metabolic influences are mediated by the endogenous splanchnic hepatotrophic factors of which insulin has been the most completely studied. An understanding of these various immunologic and non-immunologic factors combined with the more potent immunosuppression which is now available is sure to stimulate efforts at transplantation of abdominal organs and particularly of the hollow viscera which heretofore have resisted such clinical efforts.