Time-scheduled dotted and solid thread-ligating therapy combined with vacuum sealing drainage for treating high complex anal fistula.

Objective: To investigate the treatment of high complex anal fistula with time-scheduled dotted and solid thread-ligating therapy combined with vacuum sealing drainage.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 80 patients with high complex anal fistula admitted to the anorectal department of our hospital was conducted. The patients in the control group (n=40) were treated with traditional incision thread-ligating therapy, while the patients in the observation group (n=40) were treated with time-scheduled dotted and solid thread-ligating therapy combined with vacuum sealing drainage. The postoperative wound healing time, clinical efficacy, postoperative pain scores as well as pre- and postoperative anal function and anorectal pressure of patients in the two groups were observed.

Results: The observation group had a shorter wound healing time (P<0.001), lower postoperative pain scores (P<0.05), a lower increase of Wexner score (P<0.001), a higher total effective rate (97.50% vs. 90.00%; P>0.05), a higher anal maximal contraction pressure and a larger high pressure zone than the control group (P<0.05). Compared with those before operation, the Wexner scores of patients in the two groups after operation were increased, while the anal maximal contraction pressure and high pressure zone in the control group were decreased (P<0.001).

Conclusion: The treatment of complex high anal fistula with time-scheduled dotted and solid thread-ligating combined with vacuum sealing drainage has short wound healing time, high efficiency, and little influence on the postoperative function of anal sphincter. It is worthy to be popularized in clinic.