Before Fecal Transplant Procedure
The donor needs to take a laxative one night before a fecal transplant. The next morning, the stool is collected in a container and then sent to the hospital or medical center where the procedure will take place. During preparation, the stool sample is mixed with sterile water and then filtered continuously to get rid of solids. This prepared sample should be transplanted within 6 hours to ensure effectiveness.
For recipients, they should avoid antibiotics for 2 weeks before a fecal transplant. They also need to take a laxative the night before to empty the bowels. On the day of the procedure, a proton-pump inhibitor is given to prevent stomach acids from killing the healthy bacteria. Anti-diarrhea medications are also taken to ensure the transplanted stool stays in the gut. [5]
