Intestinal failure (IF) is a reduction in gut function below the minimum necessary for the absorption of macronutrients and/or water and electrolytes adequate to maintain health. Type I IF is a relatively common acute condition typically occurring in the days after surgery and is usually self-limiting. Type II IF lasts weeks to months, can be reversible but can also progress to type III IF. Chronic, type III, IF is the rarest organ failure. Optimal multidisciplinary management of these complex patients, particularly of those with acute type II IF, is key to their successful physical and psychological long-term survival.