Fecal microbiota transplants aren’t new – they’ve been recorded in medical texts as early as the 4th Ming Dynasty. But they’ve gained new attention recently, with the evolution of treatment-resistant C. difficile infections. Usually associated with a hospital stay or prolonged antibiotic therapy, these infections can be debilitating and, in some cases, fatal. Fecal transplants have a nearly miraculous effect – with a cure rate reaching 95% and improvement seen literally in a couple of days. Do-it-yourselfers can hit the internet for instructions, but as the practice edges more into mainstream medicine, the FDA has taken notice. But how do you regulate something that’s clearly not a drug? And what impact could these new, strict measures have for desperate patients, and the very few physicians who perform the procedure?
