Abstract
Pouchitis is a frequent complication following proctocolectomy and ileal pouch anal anastomosis. Inflammation may result from bacterial overgrowth, microbial imbalance, or unstable microflora. Conventional treatment includes antibiotics, but relapse is common. Probiotics show promising results in inducing remission. The probiotic concentration of dairy and fermented food products varies because of lack of national standards. Commercially available products containing freeze-dried lactic acid bacteria offer new therapeutic options. Probiotics provide a potential role for modulating the gastrointestinal environment. They are attractive for treatment of pouchitis because they recolonize the microflora and have no known harmful effects.