Study of management of 25 cases of fistula-in-ano

Background: Fistula-in-ano forms a good majority of treatable benign lesions of the rectum and anal canal. 90% or so of these cases are end results of crypto glandular infections. Despite the easy of diagnosis, establishing a cure is problematic on two accounts. Firstly, many patients tend to let their ailment nag them rather than being subject to examination, mostly owing to the site of this disease. The more important second factor is that a significant percent of these diseases persist or recur when the right modality of surgery is not adopted or when the post-operative care is inadequate. Aim and objectives: To know the usefulness of investigative procedures in early and accurate diagnosis of fistula in ano. To study the efficacy of different modalities of surgical approach with reference to post-operative hospital stay and complications like pain, bleeding and sphincter incontinence and outcome in respect to persistence/ recurrence of fistulae. Material and methods: A total of 25 patients with clinically diagnosed fistula in ano were included in the study. Clinical history was obtained in all the patients. Clinical examination including per rectal examination and proctoscopy was done in all the patients. All the patients were processed by routine investigations, ECG, chest X - ray etc. prior to surgery. Patients were followed up to a period of 1 year. Results: 6 patients i.e. 24% had similar illness out of them two previously operated for fistula with recurrence, and four patients with similar illness and resolved without treatment. In this study, 72% of patients had low level of fistula and another 28% of patients had an internal opening situated above the ano rectal ring. Patients with low level fistula were treated with fistulotomy and fistulectomy and patients with high level fistula were treated with seton placement. In this study 60 % of patients underwent fistulotomy, 12 % of patients fistulectomy and another 28% seton placement. Patients with low level fistula were treated with fistulotomy and fistulectomy and patients with high level fistula were treated with seton placement. Conclusion: Fistula-in-ano is an important, commonest disease due to crypto glandular infection (anal glands) and has a complication of ano rectal abscess. It is curable disease by the treatment of surgery and higher antibiotics, local antibiotics with good post-operative wound management, like sits bath for twice a day without closing the wound.