Erschienen in:
10.08.2022 | Editorial
Anal fistulas are not all the same
verfasst von:
K. Sahnan, J. Warusavitarne
Erschienen in:
Techniques in Coloproctology
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Ausgabe 10/2022
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Excerpt
Anal fistula treatment is associated with a great deal of controversy. The surgeon’s armamentarium is vast and treatment options for success can be like searching for the holy grail. In this issue, Sluckin et al. [
1] have shown data from the use of laser treatment for anal fistula and demonstrated that the healing rate after laser surgery is similar to that of a mucosal advancement flap (MAF) or ligation of the intersphincteric tract (LIFT). In their series, the healing rate for laser was 55.6 vs 58.7% for MAF/LIFT. The authors state that this is an acceptable procedure for fistula surgery, but the fundamental message in this article is that there is no one sphincter sparing operation that will cure all fistulas. We should consider why this is so and perhaps change the paradigm of thinking when it comes to fistula surgery. One should adopt an individualized approach, the best approach for a particular patient, considering factors, such as patients’ demographics, their disease type, their fistula morphology and their quality of life. …
