Anal fistula surgery

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Anal fistula Microchapters

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Manpreet Kaur, MD [2]

Overview

Surgery

  • Mainstay of treatment of anal fistula is surgical treatment.
  • According to British Medical Journal, the principles for the management of anal fistula are described by the acronym SNAP, which stands for sepsis, nutrition, anatomy, and procedure.
    • Treatment of sepsis is the first step.
    • Nutrition is very important for the healing of fistula.
      • Patients should be healthy during the treatment of anal fistula.
      • In malnourished patients and patients with comorbidities, fistula heals slowly.
    • Anatomy of fistula should be tracked before starting the treatment. Failure to track the secondary fistula leads to failure of treatment.
    • Selection of the appropriate procedure is key to successful management.
  • According to the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, the goal of treatment of anal fistula is to obliterate the internal fistulous opening and any associated epithelialized tracks with minimal sphincter division. Thus, it is important to identify the internal opening and the course of all tracts relative to the sphincter muscles.

Various methods of surgery are:[1]

  • Fistulotomy: It is used to treat simple anal fistula with normal anatomy and with no other complication.
  • Seton: Used to treat complex fistula.

Sphincter-saving methods are:

  • Fibrin glue: Fibrin glue is a combination of fibrinogen, thrombin, and calcium in a matrix.
    • Fibrin glue heals the fistula by first forming the clot within the track and then helping in the growth of collagen fibers and healthy tissue.[2][3]
  • Fistula plug: Fistula plug is made from porcine small intestinal mucosa.
    • It encourages host cells to grow and ultimately fill the fistula track.
    • It is resistant to infection.[4]
  • Endorectal advancement flap:[5][6]
    • Used to stop the fistula track communicating with the bowel and cover the internal opening with the disease-free anorectal wall.
    • There are various types of endorectal advancement flap:
      • Rhomboid flaps, anorectal flaps with proximal advancement.
      • Full or partial thickness flap of the proximal rectal wall.
  • LIFT procedure:
    • Ligation of the intersphincteric fistula track (LIFT): Between the internal and external anal sphincters, a skin incision is made, the fistula track is exposed within the intersphincteric space and subsequently ligated and divided.[7]
    • BioLIFT - It is modified LIFT in which a biological mesh is placed in the intersphincteric space to act as a barrier to refistulisation.
  • Stem cells:
    • Stem cells are derived from adipose cells.

References

  1. Williams JG, Farrands PA, Williams AB, Taylor BA, Lunniss PJ, Sagar PM, Varma JS, George BD (2007). "The treatment of anal fistula: ACPGBI position statement". Colorectal Dis. 9 Suppl 4: 18–50. doi:10.1111/j.1463-1318.2007.01372.x. PMID 17880382.
  2. Sentovich SM (2001). "Fibrin glue for all anal fistulas". J. Gastrointest. Surg. 5 (2): 158–61. PMID 11331478.
  3. Shawki S, Wexner SD (2011). "Idiopathic fistula-in-ano". World J. Gastroenterol. 17 (28): 3277–85. doi:10.3748/wjg.v17.i28.3277. PMC 3160530. PMID 21876614.
  4. O'Riordan JM, Datta I, Johnston C, Baxter NN (2012). "A systematic review of the anal fistula plug for patients with Crohn's and non-Crohn's related fistula-in-ano". Dis. Colon Rectum. 55 (3): 351–8. doi:10.1097/DCR.0b013e318239d1e4. PMID 22469804.
  5. Ortíz H, Marzo J (2000). "Endorectal flap advancement repair and fistulectomy for high trans-sphincteric and suprasphincteric fistulas". Br J Surg. 87 (12): 1680–3. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2168.2000.01582.x. PMID 11122184.
  6. van der Hagen SJ, Baeten CG, Soeters PB, van Gemert WG (2006). "Long-term outcome following mucosal advancement flap for high perianal fistulas and fistulotomy for low perianal fistulas: recurrent perianal fistulas: failure of treatment or recurrent patient disease?". Int J Colorectal Dis. 21 (8): 784–90. doi:10.1007/s00384-005-0072-7. PMID 16538494.
  7. Rojanasakul A, Pattanaarun J, Sahakitrungruang C, Tantiphlachiva K (2007). "Total anal sphincter saving technique for fistula-in-ano; the ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract". J Med Assoc Thai. 90 (3): 581–6. PMID 17427539.

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