Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Kryobiom®?
Kryobiom® is an individualized medicinal product made from your own gut microbiota. Your microorganisms are isolated from stool material, processed, and preserved in capsules. These capsules can be used later if your gut microbiota becomes impaired.
Is Kryobiom® safe?
Before production, the submitted stool material is tested for pathogens. In addition, a blood test is performed to rule out specific infections. All processing steps follow standardized procedures and take place under medical supervision.
Important: As with any medical procedure, risks cannot be entirely excluded. However, existing studies indicate good tolerability.
Who is Kryobiom® suitable for?
Kryobiom® can be helpful for people who want to secure their healthy gut microbiota—for example, before planned surgeries, before antibiotic treatments, or as a preventive measure.
Whether Kryobiom® is suitable for you will be clarified during the personal consultation.
How is Kryobiom® produced?
- Submission of stool material at my practice in Nuremberg
- Blood test to rule out specific infections
- PCR testing for relevant pathogens in the stool material
- Isolation and freeze-drying of the microorganisms
- Filling into special capsules that dissolve only in the intestine
How long is my gut microbiota stored?
According to current German regulations, re-administration is permitted only within 9 months after production.
⚠️ At –130 °C, however, your microbiota can be preserved for up to 30 years (“Microbiome Ark”, Harvard Medical School). This option currently serves preventive purposes only. You will be informed as soon as longer re-administration periods become legally permitted.
What are the advantages compared to probiotics?
Probiotics contain a limited selection of foreign bacterial strains. Kryobiom®, by contrast, uses your personal and complete gut microbiota.
Studies show that after antibiotic treatment, the microbiota recovers significantly faster when restored with one’s own microorganisms, while probiotics can delay recovery (Suez et al., Cell, 2018).
Are there any side effects?
As with all medical procedures, side effects can occur, such as temporary digestive discomfort. Serious complications are rare and are minimized by the preliminary testing. Individual counselling is provided during the consultation.
How can I use Kryobiom®?
You schedule an initial consultation, provide stool material, and a blood sample. After processing, your microbiota is preserved in capsules.
If re-administration becomes necessary, it is usually done in a single intake.
Information on whether gut microbiota can be preserved is available here:
https://www.kryobiom.de/en/can-i-preserve-my-gut-microbiota/
What does Kryobiom® cost?
Billing follows the official German Medical Fee Schedule (GOÄ), including the use of analogous codes where appropriate. The exact costs depend on the individual services provided. During the personal consultation, you can receive a detailed overview of the expected costs and information on potential reimbursement options.
What does aFMT mean?
aFMT stands for autologous fecal microbiota transfer. In this procedure, your own microorganisms are isolated from stool material, processed, and later — if needed — re-administered.
“Autologous” means that only your body’s own material is used — no foreign microorganisms.