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Anal Fistula : Diagnosis and Treatment

What is Anal Fistula?

An Anal fistula is a small passage connecting the abscess, aka infected cavity in the anus to the opening on the skin that is around the anus. An anus is the external opening through which the faeces gets out of the body. Just inside the anus present a number of small glands that form mucus. Occasionally, these glands get clogged and cause infection in the anus region. This leads to abscess and eventually causing fistula. 

Anal Fistula Causes:

The leading cause of an anal fistula is clogged anal glands that leads to anal abscesses. While this is a leading known cause, there are other factors that cause an anal fistula, these are:

• Trauma
• Radiation treatment - mostly the treatment of cancer
• Crohn’s disease - a disease of the intestine which is inflammatory
• Tuberculosis
• Cancer
• Diverticulitis  - formation of small pouches in large intestine that becomes inflamed
• STDs- Sexually transmitted disease 

Symptoms of Anal Fistula

A few of the common symptoms of Anal Fistula includes-

• Pain and swelling around the anus
• Frequent anal abscesses
• Foul smelling drainage (smell of pus) or blood from an opening around the anus. The pain reduces as the fistula drains out of the body.
• Irritation of the skin around the anus from the painful drainage
• Bleeding 
• Pain with the bowel movements
• Chills, fever and a feel of fatigue

See your doctor immediately if you notice any of the above symptoms. 

Diagnosis and Treatment for Anal Fistula:

An anal fistula is usually diagnosed by examining the area in and around the anus The Doctor looks at the opening on the skin, also known as fistula tract. They then try to determine the depth of the tract and the direction in which it is headed. In most of the cases, the drainage is from the external opening.  

Some fistulas do not show any visible mark on the outer skin. In such cases, the doctor might perform additional tests to examine the issue in depth. Such processes may include:

• An ultrasound or MRI of the anal area to get better view of the fistula tract
• Anoscopy - this includes involvement of a special instrument to sneak peek inside the rectum or anus. 
• At times, your surgeon will examine you in the operating room under anaesthesia to diagnose the fistula. 

Most of the Fistulas are treated with over the counter medications only. If not, or under unavoidable circumstances, surgery is performed. It is a minor surgery and can be performed in local clinics also. You don’t need to visit a hospital. 

On detecting a fistula, you Doctor would still perform some additional tests to avoid any underlying casualty. This could also be to check Crohn’s disease, which is an inflammatory disease in the intestine. According to a study by WebMd, around 30% of people with crohn’s disease develop fistulas. In some cases, colonoscopy is done to further analyse the internal damage. In colonoscopy, a light pipe-like instrument is inserted into the colon via anus. The process is performed under conscious sedation, which is a light anaesthesia. 

Most fistulas respond well to medications and surgery. Your surgeon might recommend you to soak the affected area in a warm bath, also known as Sitz Bath. This is to soften the stool. Some stool softeners and laxatives are also suggested for a week after the surgery. 

Since there is some pain that prevails after the surgery, the physician injects anaesthesia such as lidocaine to ease the discomfort. They may also give you some pain killers for a short period of time. The medication is kept on till the fistula is healed properly and there is no pain. 

Depending on where the fistula is present, your Doctor may intimate you to cut the sphincter muscle that is responsible in opening and closing of the anus. They try not to damage the skin, but it is a real tricky deal and it becomes harder to control the bowels after the procedure. However, with the medications and proper treatment, this can be controlled.

Why Redheal?

•         Experts at Redheal are easily available for Online consultations.
•         Our hospital premises are COVID safe and all the necessary precautions are taken for the treatment.
•         Our Doctors will take a good amount of time before they recommend the final step of surgery.
•         You are assisted and guided personally by our staff at all the stages. Don't worry about the finances! We have the best deals and insurance lying on the table for you. 

Call us at 8800644744 to Book Treatment for Anal Fistula