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Stem cells from healthy donors are transplanted into patients suffering from chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
Lich (red). A special treatment method for anal fistulas has been used at the Lich Clinic for two years. Stem cells from healthy donors are transplanted into affected patients who suffer from chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
“I am pleased that we have been certified as a qualified user center,” reports private lecturer Dr. med. Thilo Schwandner, chief physician at the Clinic for General and Visceral Surgery, who has been treating those affected with stem cell transplants for two years.
The transplant is used for patients who suffer from chronic inflammatory bowel disease and therefore an above-average frequency of anal fistulas.
“Anal fistula is a common disease that mostly affects men between the ages of 30 and 50,” says Thilo Schwandner.
The anal fistula is an abnormal tract that connects parts of the lower intestine, the rectum and anus, to the skin near the anus, creating one or more openings near the anus. As a rule, the ducts form due to inflammation of special glands in the anal canal. Those affected suffer from a strong sensation of pain, followed by an often purulent secretion from the fistula opening. In many cases there is also fever and external signs of inflammation such as redness and swelling.
“In the so-called Alofisel treatment, stem cells from healthy adult donors are injected into the patients and have a regulating effect on the immune system and inflammatory processes in their immediate environment,” explains Schwandner.
The stem cells are obtained from the donor’s fatty tissue. They are prepared in doses, with one dose consisting of 120 million stem cells, which are transplanted in small depots directly into the fistula wall of those affected.
»The advantage of stem cells is that they can develop into different cell types. In this way, local inflammation around the fistula can be reduced and the likelihood of healing increases,” says the expert. The treatment takes place in the Lich Clinic under anesthesia and the procedure usually lasts 45 minutes. It is a minimally invasive fistula procedure that has advantages such as fewer wound infections, less pain and a shorter hospital stay. Following the procedure, the fistula closes within a few weeks and the patients are symptom-free. »Stem cell treatment is an excellent method for patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease, which is used alongside drug treatment. We have been able to achieve very good results so far,” says Schwandner happily.
When the treatment method was introduced, the Licher Clinic was one of three centers in Germany approved for this stem cell transplant. “I am pleased that we were able to continually impress in the special certification process and can therefore continue to offer this innovative treatment method to our patients,” says Schwandner.