Aim Intestinal failure (IF) is a rare condition requiring long term parenteral nutrition (PN). The complex management of IF needs a multidisciplinary approach by expert team of paediatricians, surgeons, gastroenterologists, nurses and dieticians. The risks of medical, surgical and nutritional complications must be prevented or managed appropriately. The primary aims of the register were to list the patients, the aetiology of IF, the therapeutic approach of the disease and the follow-up.

Methods We collected retrospectively the data of 21 patients followed in our centre for IF between 1999 and 2013.

Results Twenty-one patients were included, their age ranged between 2 mo and 15 yrs (mean 7.4 yrs). The causes of IF were short bowel syndrome (16), malabsorption (1) and intestinal motility disorders (4). Sex ratio was 0.29 (F/M). All children required home PN. The duration of PN was (43.1 ± 46.9 mo). 10/21 (47.6%) patients could be totally weaned from PN after 25.4 ± 33.5 months, 5/21 (24%-after 109 ± 74.9 months) were off PN after longitudinal intestinal lengthening tapering (4LILT) or 1 after combined serial tapering enteroplasty (STEP) and (LILT). PN partially weaned in the 6/21 (23.8%) remaining patients.

Conclusions Results of this single centre experience demonstrate that with a proactive multidisciplinary IF management, including surgical rehabilitation procedures, the majority of patients have obtained partial or full enteral autonomy. Extension of this register to other centre in Belgium or Europe would be interesting and probably enhance the quality of patient follow-up.