Another achievement in organ transplantation in Australia — yet much still needs to be done

Australia’s first liver–intestinal transplant is a major achievement, yet access to life-changing organ transplantation remains limited

Around the world, intestinal transplantation has become the standard of care for patients with irreversible intestinal failure associated with life-threatening complications of parenteral nutrition. Until the recent establishment of an intestinal transplantation service in Victoria, Australians with strong indications for intestinal transplantation had to either succumb to their condition or travel overseas at great financial and psychosocial expense. Very few Australians have had this opportunity.1