Man who redefined the patient experience dies at 51 - The Jewish Chronicle

A man who developed a digitally enhanced ostomy bag has died of a sepsis infection in California, aged 51. Michael Seres, who grew up in London, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an incurable bowel disease, aged 11. In 2011, Mr Seres became the 11th patient in the UK to receive a rare intestinal transplant at Oxford University Hospitals. In his life, he had over 20 surgeries, a further transplant and five bouts of cancer. After the intestinal transplant, he was fitted with an ostomy bag – a small pouch that collects faeces. According to CNBC, the experience frustrated him because the bag would spill over without warning. As Seres later learned, no one had innovated in the area in decades. Using that frustration, he bought some parts online and built a sensor that would alert him when the bag was full. He later expanded the idea, building tools to measure the output, which could be shared with doctors. “It struck me at the time that people were building all these solutions in health care...and giving it to you, rather than building it with you,” he later said. “If I want to know how to solve the problem, I’ll go to another patient.” In 2014, Mr Seres’ digitally-enhanced ostomy bag received FDA clearance. His invention will have made the lives of those suffering with bowel injuries and cancer easier. Michael Moritz, who invested in Mr Seres’ company 11Health, told CNBC that he had “never met anyone with that combination of buoyancy and bravery.” Seres was widely considered to be one of the first “e-patients” – someone who shares their health experiences online. During his recovery, he blogged to over 100,000 readers. His doctors told him they read the blog, and shared it with medical students. Mr Seres is survived by his wife, Justine, and his three children, Aaron, Nathan and Lauren.