Paul, an American-born Chinese, is a patient who has long been troubled by ulcerative colitis. He learned by chance that the Gastroenterology Department at Guangzhou First People's Hospital uses fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to treat ulcerative colitis. Within a week of admission, he completed all the necessary tests and treatments for the transplantation. After undergoing three courses of FMT over the course of a year and a half, he achieved the ultimate treatment goal—healing of the intestinal mucosa, as seen through an endoscope.

It is reported that Paul has been suffering from ulcerative colitis for 15 years and he had sought treatment at several hospitals in Texas, USA. The biological drugs used to treat ulcerative colitis cost about 4,000 dollars per dose. Without commercial insurance coverage, it would be generally unaffordable for the average person.

In early 2016, Paul searched online for various treatment options and came across a paper published by Guangzhou First People's Hospital about using FMT to treat ulcerative colitis. With a glimmer of hope, Paul traveled to Guangzhou to begin the FMT treatment.

When visiting the hospital, Paul was amazed by the convenient medical process. "In Guangzhou, I can directly make an appointment with a specialist-this is incredible!" After being admitted, he was even more surprised to find that all the necessary tests and treatments were completed within just one week.

When undergoing complex tests, Paul would bring his translator with him, especially for procedures like gastrointestinal endoscopy, as he wanted to fully understand the process and any associated risks. Dr. Huang Hongli, the head of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Subspecialty at the Gastroenterology Department of Guangzhou First People's Hospital, explained, "Before coming for treatment, many of our patients have already researched a lot of related information. For example, there was a child from Russia who came for treatment, and her father asked whether genetic testing was necessary. If so, they were willing to fully cooperate, including with genetic testing for the child's grandparents."

Dr. Huang shared with reporters that after three courses of FMT in Guangzhou between 2016 and 2019, Paul's endoscopic situation showed significant improvement in his intestinal mucosa. His symptoms of abdominal pain and rectal bleeding also disappeared. By the end of 2024, when Paul returned to Guangzhou for a follow-up examination, the results indicated that his mucosa had fully healed under endoscopy, meaning the risk of relapse was extremely low. Paul was deeply grateful for the help he received from the doctors in Guangzhou and firmly believed that this treatment had proven effective for ulcerative colitis.

What impressed foreign patients even more was the MDT (Multidisciplinary Team). "So many experts come together for our consultations, and it only costs 890 yuan," Paul could hardly believe what he heard.

It was reported that in 2024, Guangzhou First People's Hospital became the first hospital to be approved through international hospital accreditation. In recent years, the hospital's gastroenterology team has successfully treated patients from countries such as Egypt, the United States, and Russia, with dozens of cases being handled. Dr. Huang said, "For patients with international insurance, this is undoubtedly a significant benefit. They can now directly use commercial health insurance for settlement without worrying about the complicated reimbursement process."

Source: Lingnan On the Cloud

从美国到广州就医，他们说：“看专家、做检查真的很快。”

美籍华人保罗（化名）是一名深受溃疡性结肠炎困扰的患者，偶然间了解到广州市第一人民医院消化内科利用粪菌移植治疗溃疡性结肠炎，入院一周内就完成了移植的所有检查项目和治疗。此后1年半时间，他进行三个疗程的粪菌移植后，已经达到了治疗的终极目标——内镜下看到肠黏膜愈合了。

据悉，保罗罹患“溃疡性结肠炎”15年，曾在美国得克萨斯州辗转于多家医院治疗。针对溃疡性结肠炎的生物制剂，在当地使用一支就需要约4000美元。如果没有商业保险负担，一般人群很难用得起。

2016年初，保罗在网上搜索各种治疗信息，广州市第一人民医院发表的一篇关于粪菌移植治疗溃疡性结肠炎论文吸引了他的注意。保罗怀着一丝希望，远渡重洋来到广州，开始了粪菌移植的治疗。

在市一医院就诊时，便捷的就医流程让保罗相当惊讶。“在广州，我可以直接预约专科医生，这简直不可思议！”入院后，更让他吃惊的是，短短一周时间，所有需要做的检查和治疗就全部完成了。

做复杂的检查时，保罗会带上自己的翻译，比如胃肠镜检查等，因为他要详细了解检查的过程以及风险等。广州市第一人民医院消化内科炎症性肠病亚专科负责人黄红丽主任医师表示：“他们来就医之前就已经查阅了很多相关资料。比如一位俄罗斯的患儿就医，她的爸爸就提出是否需要做基因检测，如果需要的话，他们父母会全力配合，以及包括爷爷奶奶的基因检测他们都愿意。”

黄红丽主任告诉记者，2016至2019年，保罗在广州进行了三个疗程的粪菌移植治疗之后，内镜检查结果显示，他的肠道黏膜情况得到了很大的改善，腹痛和便血症状也消失了。2024年底，保罗回到广州复查，检查结果显示，内镜下已经达到了黏膜愈合，也就是说，他复发的风险极低。至此，他无比感激广州医生给他的帮助，并且坚信这个治疗方法对溃疡性结肠炎有效果。

更让外籍人士满意的是MDT（多学科会诊）。“那么多专家来给我们做会诊，只需要890元。”这让保罗简直不敢相信自己的耳朵。

据了解，广州市第一人民医院2024年获批首家通过国际医院评审认证的医院。近年来，市一医院消化内科团队已经接诊并成功治疗了来自埃及、美国、俄罗斯等多个国家的十几例患者。黄红丽主任说：“对于持有国际保险的患者来说，这无疑是一个重大利好。他们现在可以直接使用商业医保进行就诊结算，无须再为烦琐的报销流程而烦恼。”

文丨记者 张华　通讯员　魏星 吴丽婷
图丨受访者提供
翻译丨林佳岱
审校丨赵凡