This topic is about the possibility of a colon (large intestine) transplant for someone living with an ileostomy after a C. difficile infection. The person is curious about whether such a transplant is feasible, what the risks might be, and what alternatives exist. Here are some insights and advice shared on the topic:

1. The person is open to the risk of rejection and is prepared to return to an ileostomy if the transplant fails. They plan to seek a referral for a transplant consultation.

2. They found that their local hospital does not perform elective organ transplants, but they are waiting for confirmation.

3. Online research provided them with five-year graft-survival statistics for various organs, including intestines, which range from 30-67%.

4. They humorously consider the idea of "donating a kidney for a colon."

Advice and insights from others include:

- Large- or small-bowel transplants are rare and often have poor long-term outcomes due to rejection and sudden bowel necrosis. Most specialists do not recommend this surgery unless it's the last resort.

- Eligibility for gastrointestinal transplants typically requires complete dependence on Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), multiple septic episodes in a year, TPN-related liver failure, or the need for multivisceral replacement.

- Post-transplant, recipients must take lifelong, high-dose immunosuppressants, which increase vulnerability to infections. The GI tract's role in the immune system makes managing this risk challenging.

- It's advised to consult multiple high-volume transplant centers to understand why their programs might be better and to learn about worst-case scenarios if the graft fails. Consider the quality of life both if the surgery succeeds and if it fails.

- Before considering a transplant, optimizing nutrition is crucial. This can include eating calorically dense foods in small, frequent meals and exploring tube-feeding options to reduce or avoid TPN use and liver damage. Working with a nutritionist or GI dietitian is recommended.

- Future possibilities include experimental stem-cell research, which may lead to safer, bio-engineered intestinal replacements.