Gut Restoration
Microbiome Transfer
A medically supervised procedure that transplants processed fecal material from a carefully screened healthy donor to restore the diversity and function of the patient’s intestinal microbiome.
What Is Microbiome Transfer?
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), also called microbiome transfer, involves the introduction of processed fecal material from a thoroughly screened healthy donor into the gastrointestinal tract of a patient with a disrupted microbiome (dysbiosis). The goal is to restore a healthy, diverse microbial community that supports digestion, immune function, and systemic health.
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), also called microbiome transfer, involves the introduction of processed fecal material from a thoroughly screened healthy donor into the gastrointestinal tract of a patient with a disrupted microbiome (dysbiosis). The goal is to restore a healthy, diverse microbial community that supports digestion, immune function, and systemic health.
Microbiome Analysis Image
How Does It Work?
Donor material undergoes extensive processing and screening for pathogens before use. The prepared microbiota is delivered to the patient’s gastrointestinal tract via colonoscopy, nasogastric tube, or oral capsules, depending on the clinical indication and patient preference.
The transplanted microorganisms colonize the recipient’s intestine, restoring microbial diversity and reestablishing protective functions including short-chain fatty acid production, bile acid metabolism, pathogen resistance, and immune modulation through the gut-associated lymphoid tissue.
Conditions Treated
At St. George Hospital, microbiome transfer is considered for:
- Recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (established first-line indication)
- Severe intestinal dysbiosis following prolonged antibiotic therapy
- Chronic gastrointestinal symptoms associated with Lyme disease treatment
- Inflammatory bowel conditions with documented microbial disruption
Note: Beyond recurrent C. difficile infection, the use of FMT is considered investigational. Treatment decisions are made on an individual basis by the attending physician after thorough diagnostic evaluation.
Could this belong in your plan?
That depends on your findings, not on the therapy. Send what you have with a short history; a physician reads it before the video call and tells you whether this treatment belongs in your program.
What a session feels like
- Before For colonoscopic delivery, a standard bowel preparation the day before. For capsules, nothing.
- During The colonoscopic procedure takes 30–60 minutes under the same conditions as a routine colonoscopy. Capsules are swallowed with water.
- Afterwards Bloating or mild abdominal discomfort for a few days is common while the new microbiome settles in; you are monitored, and it usually resolves on its own.
Evidence & Safety
FMT has strong evidence supporting its use for recurrent C. difficile infection, with cure rates exceeding 90% in clinical trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. Research into broader applications, including inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and metabolic conditions, is actively ongoing. Safety protocols at St. George Hospital include rigorous donor screening for infectious diseases, multidrug-resistant organisms, and metabolic conditions, in accordance with current European and international guidelines.
Request a consultation
A video consultation in English before you travel. A physician reviews your findings first; we reply by email within one business day (Mon–Fri).
Mon–Thu 08:00–17:00, Fri 08:00–14:00 (CET/CEST)+49 8061 398-0info@clinicum-stgeorg.de
St. George Hospital is a specialist hospital, not an emergency department. In a medical emergency in Germany, dial 112.