Treatment of chronic anal fissures and associated stenosis by autologous adipose tissue transplant: a pilot study.

Purpose: A substantial body of recent evidence suggests that autologous adipose tissue transplant promotes healing in different lesions associated with local ischemia. We report the outcome of lipoaspirate transplant in hard-to-treat chronic anal fissures.

Methods: Eight patients were included in this pilot study, 5 with single and 3 with multiple fissures. All had intense anal pain and had previously undergone proctologic surgery, with internal sphincterotomy performed in 6 patients. Severe stenosis was present in 3 patients and moderate stenosis in 2. Preoperative assessment included anoscopy, anorectal manometry, colonoscopy, and microbiological tests to exclude inflammatory, neoplastic, or infectious diseases. Surgical treatment consisted of transplant of purified autologous fat retrieved from the hypogastrium. Follow-up was scheduled after 1 week, at 2, 3, 6, and 12 months, and thereafter on a yearly basis.

Results: All of the patients were discharged several hours after surgery. No early postoperative complication was observed. Complete healing and pain remission were achieved in 6 patients (75%), 4 of whom were treated in a single session, whereas 2 patients required 2 and 3 sessions. Anal stenosis was resolved in 4 of 5 patients (80%). The therapy was unsuccessful in 2 patients (25%). Mean follow-up was 18 months (range, 3-36 months).

Conclusion: Perianal autologous fat transplant can be safely performed for the treatment of complex anal fissures. It is well tolerated and offers encouraging results, although further research is warranted because of the small number of patients treated and the relatively short follow-up time.