Is It Advisable to Use Probiotics Routinely After a Colonoscopy? A Rapid Comprehensive Review of the Evidence
Abstract
1. Introduction and Aim
- (a)
- Direct mechanical factors related to trauma caused by the endoscopic instrument during exploration: non-transmural wall damage related to the passage of angles, mechanical stretching of the mesenteries and/or intestinal adhesions, non-transmural thermal damage during interventional procedures, etc.
- (b)
2. Methods
3. Results
Study | Patients | Probiotics Mixture and Formulation | Duration of Treatment | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|
D’Souza B et al. [8]
| 133 probiotics vs. 126 controls | Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 in capsule formulation for both the probiotic and the placebo. | Once daily for 14 days after the colonscopy. | ↓ Number of pain days, especially in patients with pre-existing symptoms. (After 21 days of clinical evaluation.) |
Labenz J et al. [7]
| 36 probiotics vs. 35 controls | Bifidobacterium bifidum W23, Bifidobacterium lactis W51, Enterococcus faecium W54, Lactobacillus acidophilus W37, Lactobacillus rhamnosus WGG, and Lactococcus lactis W19 in powder formulation for both the probiotic and the placebo. | Twice daily for 30 days after the colonscopy. | ↓ Constipation days. (After 28 days of clinical evaluation.) |
Hung J-S [12]
| 71 controls vs. 72 probiotics (7 days before/after colonoscopy) 67 probiotics (7 days before colonoscopy) 74 probiotics (7 days after colonoscopy) | Lactobacillus casei sp. rhamnosus GG (LGG) in capsule formulation. | Thrice daily 7 days before/after the colonoscopy. Thrice daily 7 days before the colonoscopy. Thrice daily 7 days after the colonoscopy. | ↓ Abdominal pain intesity. ↓ Indigestion symptoms. (In all probiotics groups after 7 days of clinical evaluation.) |
Bonavina L et al. [9]
| 2.979 probiotics (no control group) | Lactobacillus plantarum LP01, Lactobacillus lactis subspecies cremoris LLC02, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii LDD01 in powder formulation. | Once daily for 28 days after the colonscopy. | ↓ Abdominal pain intensity. ↓ Bloating. (After 28 days of clinical evaluation.) |
Aragona SE et al. [10]
| 3.197 probiotics vs. 1.612 controls | Lactobacillus plantarum LP01, Lactobacillus lactis subspecies cremoris LLC02, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii LDD01 in powder formulation for both the probiotic and the placebo. | Once daily for 28 days after the colonscopy. | ↓ Abdominal pain intensity. ↓ Bloating. ↓ Abdominal discomfort. ↓ Bowel alteration. (After 28 days of clinical evaluation.) |
Mullaney T et al. [6]
| 75 probiotics vs. 75 controls | Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 in capsule formulation for both the probiotic and the placebo. | Once daily for 14 days after the colonscopy. | ↓ Bloating in patients with pre-existing symptoms. (After 14 days of clinical evaluation.) |
Deng X et al. [5]
| 16 probiotics vs. 16 controls | Bifidobacterium infantis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Bacillus cereus in tablet formulation for both the probiotic and the placebo. | Thrice daily for 5–7 days after the colonoscopy. | Improvement of intestinal dysbiosis. (After 7 days of stool evaluation.) |
Chen Z et al. [11]
| 7 probiotics vs. 4 controls | Clostridium butyricum in capsule formulation. | Thrice daily for 20 days after the colonoscopy. | Improvement of intestinal dysbiosis (After 7–30–60 days of stool evaluation.) |
- (a)
- A mixture of Bifidobacterium bifidum W23, Bifidobacterium lactis W51, Enterococcus faecium W54, Lactobacillus acidophilus W37, Lactobacillus rhamnosus WGG, and Lactococcus lactis W19 [7].
- (b)
- (c)
- (d)
- A mixture of Bifidobacterium infantis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Bacillus cereus [5].
- (e)
- Clostridium butyricum [11].
- (f)
4. Discussion
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Piciucchi, M.; Rossi, A.; Satriano, A.; Manta, R. Is It Advisable to Use Probiotics Routinely After a Colonoscopy? A Rapid Comprehensive Review of the Evidence. Med. Sci. 2025, 13, 76. https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci13020076
Piciucchi M, Rossi A, Satriano A, Manta R. Is It Advisable to Use Probiotics Routinely After a Colonoscopy? A Rapid Comprehensive Review of the Evidence. Medical Sciences. 2025; 13(2):76. https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci13020076
Chicago/Turabian StylePiciucchi, Matteo, Alice Rossi, Alissa Satriano, and Raffaele Manta. 2025. "Is It Advisable to Use Probiotics Routinely After a Colonoscopy? A Rapid Comprehensive Review of the Evidence" Medical Sciences 13, no. 2: 76. https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci13020076
APA StylePiciucchi, M., Rossi, A., Satriano, A., & Manta, R. (2025). Is It Advisable to Use Probiotics Routinely After a Colonoscopy? A Rapid Comprehensive Review of the Evidence. Medical Sciences, 13(2), 76. https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci13020076