A C. diff infection produces many uncomfortable symptoms ranging from diarrhea to severe abdominal pain. Most often it is easily recognized and controlled before it progresses to advanced stages, which may dangerous and life threatening. A fecal transplant, or stool transplant, is a now being recognized as an adjunctive therapy that helps combat the harmful bacteria that has spread in the gastrointestinal system during a C. difficile infection.

Dr. Kamrava, colorectal surgeon in Los Angeles, performs fecal transplants for refractory C. Diff infections. The fecal transplant process reinstates necessary healthy bacteria back into a patient’s body.

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What Is a Fecal Transplant?

A fecal transplant transfers bacteria from a healthy individual into a patient whose body lacks the healthy bacteria it needs. When the healthy bacteria are introduced back into the patient’s body, they aid in fighting the C. Diff infection that had made the patient ill.

How Does a Stool Transplant Work?

Depending on the situation, there are various methods to implant the stool. Each method carries with it its respective rate of success and risk factors. Your physician will detail these options when deciding a proper treatment plan for you. Before the procedure can be performed, the healthy donor must undergo a number of tests to ensure he or she does not have any parasitic or bacterial infections. Even if the healthy donor doesn’t experience symptoms of a C. Diff infections, he or she should be tested for C. diff as well.

C. Diff Treatment

Since bacterial fecal flora from a healthy individual are the prime component of a fecal transplant, donors do not need to be genetically linked to the patient. However, close relatives are often the quickest and easiest donors to assess and studies have shown people who have shared a home have provided higher rates of cure. Once a healthy donor has been selected, fecal transplant material is prepared by Dr. Kamrava.

We have successfully performed a fecal transplant by pill.

• There are very few providers performing this procedure in the Los Angeles area.
• The procedure is done in the office, no anesthesia or bowel prep required.
• It is for recurrent C Diff infections.

Fecal Transplant Candidates

Hospital and nursing home patients often suffer from C. diff infections. When antibiotics are administered in a patient, the medicine does not distinguish between the bacterial infection that it needs to cure and the healthy bacteria in the body that should not be destroyed. When the body does not have healthy bacteria, the harmful bacteria Clostridium Difficile can cause a harmful infection. To treat the source of infection inside the colon, a fecal transplant brings healthy bacteria back into the body.

Fecal Transplant Frequently Asked Questions

A fecal transplant or stool transplant may seem like an unusual medical treatment, but when the body is deficient in the healthy bacteria it needs to function properly, transplanting it through the colon is a direct and efficient C. Diff treatment. Here are answers to common questions patients have. If you have additional questions about stool transplants, please feel free to contact our office at 424.279.8222. During your consultation with Dr. Kamrava, he’ll discuss everything you need to know.

Q: What is C. Diff?

A: C. Diff is a type of bacteria that causes an infection in the gut. It often occurs in patients who have been administered broad-spectrum antibiotics. The antibiotics eliminate the majority of normal, healthy gut flora, allowing C. Diff to proliferate and become widespread. The overgrowth of C. Diff will produce physical symptoms, such as diarrhea, bloating, and flu-like symptoms in patients.

Q: What are the benefits of a fecal transplant?

A: A patient may become very ill when Clostridium Difficile infects the body and there is no direct way to give the patient healthy bacteria. Vancomycin and other current pharmacological therapies do not work for all patients. When antibiotics fail to provide cure, patients may be left with few options. A fecal transplant is a viable alternative. The goal of a fecal transplant is to directly reintroduce healthy bacteria into the body.

Q: How does a stool transplant work?

A: When bacterial fecal flora from a healthy individual is collected, it can be transplanted into the colon of an individual infected with C. Diff. The healthy bacteria multiplies and eliminates the C. Diff infection.

Q: Who may need a fecal transplant?

A: Patients who suffer from C. Diff infections may benefit from fecal transplants, who has failed antibiotic therapy several times.

Q: Is a fecal transplant safe?

A: There is still significant testing that needs to be performed in regards to the safety of fecal transplants. The FDA still considers this treatment experimental, as it has not undergone the rigorous testing required by the FDA. However, due to its clear efficacy in an otherwise often deadly and debilitating condition, the FDA has granted approval for its conditional use specifically for refractory C. Diff until it can be fully vetted.

Call Today to Schedule a Fecal Transplant Consultation With Dr. Kamrava

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of a fecal transplant, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Kamrava, a board-certified colorectal surgeon who uses evidence based techniques to treat C. Diff infections. Schedule a consultation today by calling 424.279.8222!

Next, learn about cosmetic anal rejuvenation procedures.