Locations:
Procedure allows surgeons to remove tumor involving major blood vessels outside of the body and reimplant patient’s own intestine
Masato Fujiki, M.D., surgical director of Cleveland Clinic’s Intestinal Transplant Program
Cleveland Clinic is the first health system in Ohio to report performing a highly specialized surgery for complex abdominal tumors that involves removing and then re-implanting a patients’ own intestine. Called ex vivo intestinal auto-transplantation, the operation is performed at only a small number of centers worldwide.
Masato Fujiki, M.D., surgical director of Cleveland Clinic’s Intestinal Transplant Program, and a multidisciplinary team including hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeon Robert Naples, D.O. , completed the procedure earlier this year. The operation involved removing the tumor, pancreatic head and entire small intestine as one unit. The tumor was then removed ex vivo, or outside of the patient’s body. The small intestine was re-implanted, or auto-transplanted, back into the patient using vascular and gastrointestinal reconstruction techniques.
“This is a rare and highly complex surgery that requires a specialized team with expertise in intestinal transplantation, complex abdominal surgery and vascular reconstruction,” said Dr. Fujiki.
“For carefully selected patients whose tumors cannot be removed in a traditional surgery, intestinal auto-transplantation provides another treatment option while avoiding the need for a donor organ and lifelong immunosuppression.”
Unlike a conventional surgery, an intestinal auto-transplant allows surgeons to temporarily remove a patient’s intestine and access tumors that involve or encase the major blood vessels that supply the intestine. Once the tumor is removed and the affected blood vessels are reconstructed, the intestine is reimplanted in the patient.
“A procedure like this requires careful planning and close collaboration at every stage,” said Dr. Naples. “Bringing together expertise across surgical specialties is critical to addressing the unique challenges of each case and working toward the best possible outcome for the patient.”
Cleveland Clinic’s first surgical case was performed on a 38-year-old woman with a large advanced tumor surrounding the superior mesenteric artery, a major artery located in the middle of the abdomen, that could not be safely removed using conventional surgery. After a period of recovery and additional procedures, she has returned home and is recovering well.
Cleveland Clinic’s Intestinal Transplant Program brings together specialists across multiple disciplines to provide advanced care for patients with complex conditions. The addition of intestinal auto-transplantation expands the program’s capabilities and offers a new treatment option for patients with difficult-to-treat tumors.
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation, Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 83,000 employees worldwide are more than 6,600 salaried physicians and researchers, and 21,900 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,725-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 300 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2025, there were 15.9 million outpatient encounters, 343,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 336,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at x.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources are available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
Editor’s Note: Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll upon request.
Search