Duodenal faecal transplants for patients with irritable bowel syndrome result in high response rates and durable long-term efficacy and safety for up to three years, Norwegian doctors report.

Results from their observational study also suggest that the degree of microbiota dysbiosis, rather than its presence alone, plays a key role in symptom improvement.

Although faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has shown promise as a treatment option for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), its durability and safety profile beyond 12 months were unknown, according to the University of Bergen-led team.

As a result, they performed a three-year follow-up of 125 patients from a previous clinical trial on the short-term effects of FMT for treating IBS using material obtained from a healthy donor.