Stool transplantation is a form of treatment that allows the transfer of faeces from one healthy person to another with intestinal diseases, especially in cases of pseudomembranous colitis, caused by an infection by Clostridium difficile bacteria and an inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease, being also a promise in the treatment of other diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome , obesity and even autism, for example.
The purpose of fecal transplantation is to regulate the gut microbiota, which is the collection of countless bacteria that live naturally in the gut, it is important that this microbiota is healthy, thanks to a diet rich in fiber and avoiding the use of antibiotics unnecessarily.not only does it influence gut health, but can have effects on the development of immune, metabolic and neurological diseases.
Learn what causes it and how to avoid this imbalance of intestinal flora in intestinal dysbiosis.
In Brazil, the first fecal transplant record was performed in 2013 at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo since then, fecal transplantation has proven increasingly useful for the treatment of various diseases, such as:
This is the main indication of fecal transplantation, characterized by inflammation and infection of the intestine by the bacterium Clostridium difficile, which mainly infects people hospitalized with antibiotics, as it takes advantage of the elimination of healthy intestinal bacteria to settle.
The main symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis are fever, abdominal pain and persistent diarrhea, and its treatment is usually done with antibiotics such as metronidazole or vancomycin; However, in cases where the bacteria is resistant, fecal transplantation has been shown to be effective in quickly rebalancing intestinal flora and eliminating infections.
Learn more about the diagnosis and treatment of pseudomembranous colitis.
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the main forms of inflammatory bowel disease, and although it is not known exactly what causes them, it is known that in addition to the influence of the immune system, there may be an action of harmful bacteria in the gut.intestine for the development of these diseases.
Therefore, performing stool transplants may be effective in improving or even causing full remission of Crohn’s disease, especially in severe or difficult-to-treat cases.
Irritable bowel syndrome appears to have several causes, such as changes in the intestinal nervous system, food sensitivity, genetic sensitivity and psychological state, however, it has been shown that, increasingly, intestinal flora influences its presence.
Therefore, some current tests have shown that fecal transplantation is very promising for effective treatment of this syndrome, although more tests are still needed to confirm the possibility of cure.
Intestinal flora is known to be altered in obese people, and there are indications that these bacteria alter the way the body uses food energy, so this may be one of the causes of weight loss.
For example, studies have shown that it is possible to treat both obesity and other changes that determine metabolic syndrome, such as high blood pressure, insulin resistance, increased blood sugar, cholesterol and high triglycerides, with a fecal transplant, but more studies are needed to check what this treatment should be like and for whom it is indicated.
In addition, it should be remembered that a diet high in sugars and fats, and low in fiber, is one of the main causes of deregulation of intestinal flora and survival of harmful bacteria, and therefore there is no point in having a fecal.transplant if there is no diet that promotes the survival of good bacteria.
It was observed in a scientific study that autistic patients who received a fecal transplant had an improvement in symptoms, however, more studies are still needed to conclude that there is a real link and influence of this procedure for the treatment of autism.
Another promising feature of fecal transplantation is the ability to treat and reduce symptoms of neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, myoclonic dystonia and Parkinson’s disease, as an important link has been observed between intestinal flora and immune and brain functions.
In addition to the aforementioned diseases, fecal transplantation has been studied in the treatment and control of other diseases, such as chronic hepatitis, hepatic encephalopathy, immune haematological diseases, such as thrombocytopenic purple, and in the treatment of widespread infections caused by resistant bacteria.
Therefore, while fecal therapy has been practiced for many years in medicine, discoveries of its real health potential are still recent and medical studies still need to prove all of these promises.
Fecal transplantation is performed by introducing healthy donor stools into the patient, for this it is necessary to collect about 50 g of stool from the donor, which should be analyzed to ensure that they are not carriers of Clostridium difficile bacteria or other parasites..
The stool is then diluted in a saline solution and placed in the patient’s intestine, through a nasogastric tube, rectal enema, endoscopy or colonoscopy, one or more doses may be needed, depending on the disease to be treated and the severity of the intestinal inflammation..
The procedure is usually quick and you do not feel any pain or discomfort.