Anal Fistula Surgery

Surgery to treat an anal fistula

Anal fistula surgery treats a fistula to close the tract and reduce the chance of further infection. It does not promise that the fistula will never return.

• Discharge, swelling and repeated infection are reviewed
• The tract is assessed so the operation matches the fistula you have
• The limits of surgery, including possible return of the fistula, are explained

Closing the fistula tract

The aim is to close the tract while taking account of continence and the shape of that fistula. The operation is selected after assessment, and recurrence is not ruled out.

• The goal is closure of the tract rather than a temporary cover of symptoms
• The method depends on the fistula that has been mapped clinically
• You are told what the operation is trying to achieve

Recurrence of a fistula is not promised

Healing takes follow-up, and a closed tract can still reopen in some people. That possibility is part of an honest discussion.

• Wound healing and discharge are checked after surgery
• Return of the fistula is recognised as a risk, not dismissed
• Further review is arranged if symptoms come back

Anal fistula care at Estecenter in Şişli, Istanbul, aims to close the tract without promising that it cannot return.