Purpose This study was conducted to evaluate the validity of a new imaging-guided, anatomy-based classification of anorectal fistulas in defining disease severity and predicting surgical outcomes.
Methods This multicenter, retrospective cohort study analyzed data from patients with perianal fistulas who underwent surgery between 2017 and 2023. All patients underwent preoperative 3-dimensional endoanal ultrasound, with adjunctive magnetic resonance imaging performed if ultrasound indicated a complex fistula. Imaging examinations were retrospectively evaluated to categorize fistulas according to the Garg classification and the newly proposed classification system. The new classification included 6 severity grades based on the characteristics of the primary tract: submucosal, intersphincteric, low transsphincteric, high transsphincteric, multiple, and suprasphincteric/extrasphincteric. Each grade was further subdivided into 3 subtypes (A, B, C) based on the extension of secondary tracts.
Results When compared with the new classification, the Garg classification demonstrated a slightly lower ability to predict the feasibility of fistulotomy in simple fistulas (94.2% vs 99.1%; Fisher exact test, P=0.006). A strong positive correlation was found between the surgery failure rate and the severity grade of the new classification (Spearman rho, 0.90; P<0.001), whereas the Garg classification showed a nonsignificant positive correlation with surgical failure rate (Spearman rho, 0.90; P=0.08).
Conclusion The new imaging-guided, anatomy-based classification of anorectal fistulas demonstrates high accuracy in defining disease severity. It represents a valuable tool for preoperative grading of anal fistulas, standardizing the reporting of diagnostic imaging, and improving the communication of findings among healthcare professionals.
Purpose The role of antibiotics in preventing fistula formation following an initial abscess remains a subject of debate. This study compared the incidence of fistula in ano in patients experiencing their first episode of acute perianal sepsis, with and without antibiotic therapy, and evaluated the prevalence of fistula in ano necessitating surgical intervention at 1 year.
Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital with a dedicated proctology department. All patients who presented to the emergency proctology unit with a first episode of acute perianal sepsis were eligible for inclusion.
Results This study included 276 patients. At 1 year, fistula formation was identified in 65.6% of all patients, 54.0% of those who had received antibiotics, and 75.0% of those who had not (P<0.001). This finding remained significant after weighted propensity analysis (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.31–0.92; P=0.025).
Conclusion The rate of fistula formation was relatively high in this study. However, it was lower among patients with perianal sepsis who were treated with antibiotics, although a causal relationship could not be established. Prolonged follow-up is needed to clarify the role of antibiotic therapy in preventing or delaying fistula development in patients with acute perianal sepsis.
Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of the ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) procedure in treating high transsphincteric fistulas.
Methods We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the success rate of LIFT treatment in 82 patients with high transsphincteric fistulas involving at least one-third of the external sphincter. This study was carried out across 2 centers from November 2009 to February 2023.
Results All patients underwent successful surgery with a median operative time of 48.9 minutes (range, 20–80 minutes), and no intraoperative or postoperative complications were reported. The median follow-up duration was 85.5 months (range, 4–120 months), with 5 patients (6.1%) lost to follow-up. Treatment was successful in 62 patients, whose symptoms disappeared and both the external opening and the intersphincteric incision completely healed, yielding an overall efficiency rate of 80.5%. There were 15 cases (19.5%) of treatment failure, including 6 (7.8%) that converted to intersphincteric anal fistula and 9 (11.7%) that experienced persistent or recurrent fistulas. Only 1 patient reported minor overflow during the postoperative follow-up, but no other patients reported any significant discomfort. There were no statistically significant differences between patients with surgical success and those with treatment failure in terms of fistula length, history of previous abscess or anal fistula surgery, number of external orifices or fistulas, and location of fistulas (all P>0.05).
Conclusion LIFT is a safe and effective sphincter-preserving procedure that yields satisfactory healing outcomes and has minimal impact on anal function.
Anal fistula can be a challenging condition to manage, with complex fistulas presenting even greater difficulties. The primary concerns in treating this condition are a risk of damage to the anal sphincters, which can compromise fecal continence, and refractoriness to treatment, as evidenced by a high recurrence rate. Furthermore, the treatment of complex anal fistula involves several additional challenges. Satisfactory solutions to many of these obstacles remain elusive, and no consensus has been established regarding the available treatment options. In summary, complex anal fistula has no established gold-standard treatment, and the quest for effective therapies continues. This review discusses and highlights groundbreaking advances in the management of complex anal fistula over the past decade.
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Anal fistulas, especially complex and high fistulas, are difficult to manage. The transanal opening of the intersphincteric space (TROPIS) procedure was first described in 2017, and a high success rate of over 90% was reported in high complex fistulas. Since then, more studies and even a meta-analysis have corroborated the high efficacy of this procedure in high fistulas. Conventionally, the main focus was to close the internal (primary) opening for the fistula to heal. However, most complex fistulas have a component of the fistula tract in the intersphincteric plane. This component is like an abscess (sepsis) in a closed space (2 muscle layers). It is a well-known fact that in the presence of sepsis, healing by secondary intention leads to better results than attempting to heal by primary intention. Therefore, TROPIS is the first procedure in which, instead of closing the internal opening, the opening is widened by laying open the fistula tract in the intersphincteric plane so that healing can occur by secondary intention. Although the drainage of high intersphincteric abscesses through the transanal route was described 5 decades ago, the routine utilization of TROPIS for the definitive management of high complex fistulas was first described in 2017. The external anal sphincter (EAS) is completely spared in TROPIS, as the fistula tract on either side of the EAS is managed separately—inner (medial) to the EAS by laying open the intersphincteric space and outer (lateral) to the EAS by curettage or excision.
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Purpose Surgeons can treat debilitating conditions of uncontrollable complex anorectal fistulas with sepsis, even after repeated fistula surgeries, for curative intention. Adipose-derived stem cells have shown good outcomes for refractory Crohn fistula. Unfortunately, cell therapy has some limitations, including high costs. We have therefore attempted immediate cell-assisted lipotransfer (CAL) in treating refractory complex anal fistulas and observed its outcomes.
Methods In a retrospective study, CAL, using a mixture of freshly extracted autologous stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and fat tissues, was used to treat 22 patients of refractory complex anal fistula from March 2018 to May 2021. Preoperative and postoperative assessments were performed with direct visual inspection, digital palpation, and endoanal ultrasonography. A fistula was considered completely healed if (1) the patient had no symptoms of discharge or inflammation; (2) there were no visible secondary openings of fistula tract inside and outside of the anorectal unit and even in the perineum; and (3) there was no primary opening in the anus. The endpoint of complete remission was wound healing without signs of inflammation 3 months after CAL treatment.
Results In a total of 22 patients who received CAL treatment, 19 patients showed complete remission, 1 patient showed partial improvement, and 2 patients showed no improvement. One of the 2 patients without improvement at primary endpoint showed complete remission 9 months after CAL. There were no significant adverse effects of the procedure.
Conclusion We found that the immediately-collected CAL procedure for refractory complex anal fistula showed good outcomes without adverse side effects. It can be strongly recommended as an alternative surgical option for the treatment of complex anal fistula that is uncontrollable even after repeated surgical procedures. However, considering the unpredictable characteristics of SVF, long-term follow-up is necessary.
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Actinomycosis is a serious suppurative, bacterial infection caused by the gram-positive anaerobic Actinomyces species. Primary perianal actinomycosis is rare and challenging for the colorectal surgeon. We aimed to present our experience and compare this with available literature. All patients with isolated Actinomyces on microbiology reports, between January 2013 and February 2021, were identified and reviewed. Data collection was retrospective based on electronic patient records. The site of infection and treatment strategy were examined. Perianal cases were evaluated in depth. All publications available in the literature were interrogated. Fifty-nine cases of positive actinomycosis cultures were reviewed. Six cases of colonization were excluded. Actinomyces turicensis was the most common organism isolated. Five cases of perianal actinomycosis were identified requiring prolonged antibiotic and surgical therapy. Twenty-one studies, most case reports, published since 1951 were also reviewed. Diagnosis of perianal actinomycosis may be challenging but should be suspected particularly in recurrent cases. Prolonged bacterial cultures in anaerobic conditions are necessary to identify the bacterium. An extended course of antibiotic therapy (months) is required for eradication in certain cases.
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Benign GI diease, Inflammatory bowel disease,Benign diesease & IBD
Perianal fistula is a frequent complication and one of the subclassifications of Crohn disease (CD). It is the most commonly observed symptomatic condition by colorectal surgeons. Accurately classifying a perianal fistula is the initial step in its management in CD patients. Surgical management is selected based on the type of perianal fistula and the presence of rectal inflammation; it includes fistulotomy, fistulectomy, seton procedure, fistula plug insertion, video-assisted ablation of the fistulous tract, stem cell therapy, and proctectomy with stoma creation. Perianal fistulas are also managed medically, such as antibiotics, immunomodulators, and biologics including anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha agents. The current standard treatment of choice for perianal fistula in CD patients is the multidisciplinary approach combining surgical and medical management; however, the rate of long-term remission is low and is reported to be 50% at most. Therefore, the optimum management strategy for perianal fistulas associated with CD remains controversial. Currently, the goal of management for CD-related perianal fistulas are controlling symptoms and maintaining long-term anal function without proctectomy, while monitoring progression to anorectal carcinoma. This review evaluates perianal fistula in CD patients and determines the optimal surgical management strategy based on recent evidence.
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Purpose Surgery of the horseshoe fistula is challenging due to its complex configuration and sphincter muscle involvement. Complete deroofing fistulotomy for horseshoe fistula is highly curative with the eradication of all fistulous lesions but has been discredited for its high incontinence rate. It was replaced with the more conservative Hanley’s procedure leaving the lateral tracts intact, despite its issue of recurrence. Our study aimed to report the outcomes of a procedure dividing complete deroofing fistulotomy for horseshoe fistula into 2 stages to avoid impairment of sphincter function.
Methods We retrospectively reviewed 139 patients who underwent surgery for horseshoe fistula using the 2-stage complete deroofing fistulotomy method between 2014 and 2017. The first surgery deroofed the lateral tracts with an arch-like incision severing the anococcygeal ligament. The primary lesion was also drained and curetted. A seton was placed in the primary tract which was laid open in the second surgery after the lateral wound had partially healed.
Results Recurrence was observed in 12 patients. All were superficial recurrences except for 1, in which recurrence was confirmed in the primary lesion. Those with blind intersphincteric upward extensions had a significantly higher recurrence rate. Furthermore, patients who resided far from the hospital and could not make visits for frequent wound inspections also had a significantly higher recurrence rate. No patient had any continence issues at the end of the follow-up period.
Conclusion Managing horseshoe fistula with the 2-stage deroofing fistulotomy approach allows for eradication of the fistula tract without compromising anal sphincter function.
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The ideal intervention in the treatment of perianal fistula prevents the onset of infection to speed healing and prevent fistula recurrence while maintaining the function of the anal sphincter. Currently, there is no consensus on the best recommended surgical technique for perianal fistula management. Several studies have shown that fistulotomy was an easy and safe procedure for treatment of perianal fistula. Lateral internal sphincterotomy is the usual procedure performed on an anal fissure to decrease the anal sphincter tone. This study reports a combination of fistulotomy and contralateral internal sphincterotomy procedures for recurrent and complex perianal fistula to prevent recurrence. Here, we report 5 cases of recurrent and complex perianal fistula. The combination of fistulotomy and contralateral internal sphincterotomy is a relatively easy and safe procedure for complex perianal fistulae. In our cases, we found neither recurrence nor postoperative anal incontinence.
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Ann Coloproctol. 2021;37(2):90-93. Published online January 31, 2020
Purpose Anal fistula is a common condition in proctology, usually requiring surgical treatment. Few risk factors have been clearly identified based on solid evidence. Our research objective was to determine whether history of anal surgery was a risk factor for subsequent anal fistula.
Methods We conducted a case-control study from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2013 in our tertiary center, comprising 280 cases that underwent surgery for anal fistula and 123 control patients seeking a consultation for upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease were excluded. For both cases and controls, the following variables were recorded: sex, any prior anal surgery, diabetes mellitus, infection with human immunodeficiency virus, and smoking status. For each variable, confidence interval and odds ratio (OR) were calculated.
Results In univariate analysis, male sex (73.2% vs. 31.7%, P < 0.0001), active smoking (38.1% vs. 22%, P = 0.0015), and prior anal surgery (16.0% vs. 4.1%, P = 0.0008) were associated with higher risk of anal fistula. In multivariate analysis, only male sex (OR, 5.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.42 to 9.10; P < 0.0001) and previous anal surgery (OR, 4.48; 95% CI, 1.79 to 13.7; P = 0.0008) remained independently associated with anal fistula occurrence.
Conclusion The epidemiology of anal fistula is poorly assessed despite the high frequency at which it is diagnosed. Our findings suggest that history of any kind of anal surgery is a risk factor for further onset of anal fistula. Surgeons and patients must be informed of this issue.
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Purpose We assessed the clinical outcomes of a seton procedure combined with early versus late institution of infliximab (IFX) therapy.
Methods This retrospective study comprised 76 patients who underwent surgery for perianal fistula associated with Crohn disease between January 2014 and November 2017. All patients underwent loose seton drainage combined with IFX therapy. Patients categorized as the early group (EG, 49 patients) received IFX therapy within 30 days of completion of the seton procedure. Patients categorized as the late group (LG, 27 patients) received IFX therapy >30 days after the seton procedure. IFX therapy was administered as induction and maintenance therapy.
Results There were no statistically significant intergroup differences in clinical characteristics of the patients. The mean follow-up was 21.0 ± 11.6 months in the EG and 34.5 ± 18.4 months in the LG (P = 0.001). The mean interval between seton procedure and IFX induction therapy was 12.2 days in the EG and 250.2 days in the LG (P = 0.002). Complete remission was observed in 32 patients (65.3%) in the EG and 17 patients (63.0%) in the LG (P = 0.844). Fistula recurrence was observed in 6 patients (7.9%). All recurrences occurred in a previous perianal fistula tract.
Conclusion Patients showed a good response to a seton procedure combined with IFX therapy regardless of the time of initiation of IFX therapy.
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Purpose Perianal adenocarcinoma arising from a chronic anorectal fistula is a rare condition for which the natural history and optimal management are not well established. For that reason, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 5 consecutive patients with a perianal adenocarcinoma arising from a chronic anorectal fistula managed at our institution from January 2014 to December 2015.
Methods The patients were identified from a prospectively collected colorectal cancer database that included all patients managed for colorectal cancer at our institution.
Results The median age at diagnosis was 64 years (range, 55–72 years). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was the initial investigation for all patients and showed a hyperintense T2-weighted image. One patient underwent an abdominoperineal resection following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and remained disease free during the 12-month follow-up. Three patients received neoadjuvant therapy with intent for surgery, but did not undergo surgery due to either worsening health or metastatic spread. One patient declined intervention. The median overall survival was 10.5 months (range, 2–19 months).
Conclusion A high index of suspicion is required to make a clinical diagnosis of an anal adenocarcinoma arising from a chronic fistula. Histologic diagnosis must be achieved to confirm the diagnosis. Multimodal therapy with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by abdominoperineal resection is the treatment of choice.
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Purpose A cutting seton is used after a partial distal fistulotomy to treat patients with a high exrasphincteric fistula in ano to avoid fecal incontinence and recurrence. In Saudi Arabia, religious practices necessitate complete cleanness, which makes conditions affecting anal continence a major concern to patients affected by an anal fistula. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the cutting seton in treating a high anal fistula among Saudi Arabians.
Methods Between January 2005 and December 2014, a prospective study was done for 372 Saudi Arabian patients diagnosed as having a high anal fistula and treated with a cutting seton at Al-Ansar General Hospital, Medina, Saudi Arabia. 0-silk sutures were used. All patients underwent the same preoperative assessment, operative technique, and postoperative follow-up. Weekly, the seton was tightened in outpatient clinics.
Results Two hundred ninety-eight patients (80.1%) were males and 74 (19.9%) females. The duration of symptoms varied from 3–21 months. The fistula healed completely in 363 patients (97.6%); 58 patients (15.6%) reported some degree of incontinence to flatus, but none to feces. In 9 patients (2.4%) the fistula recurred.
Conclusion The utilization of the cutting seton method in the treatment of patients with a high anal fistula is highly efficient as it simultaneously drains the abscess, cuts the fistulous tract, and causes fibrosis along the tract. Treatment of a high anal fistula by using a staged fistulotomy with a cutting seton was very rewarding to Saudi Arabian patients who feared anal incontinence for religious reasons and was associated with low postoperative complication and recurrence rates.
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A Commentary on the article: “Risk factors for recurrence after anal fistula surgery: A meta-analysis”, Int J Surg 2019;69:153–164 F. Karimian International Journal of Surgery.2019; 71: 79. CrossRef