THE MANAGEMENT OF FISTULA-IN-ANO, USING INDUSTRIAL CABLE-TIES AS CUTTING SETONS

Dr. Rehan Nasir Khan *, Dr. Abdul Wahid Anwer and Dr. Waseem Ali

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Fistula-in-Ano is a common surgical pathology presenting in world wide. We used simple industrial cable-ties as setons. The main advantages of this material as it is cheap, readily available and most importantly, easy to tighten in controlled fashion, thus overcoming the problem of frequent hospital visits. Aims: To determine the outcomes of industrial cable-ties as cutting setons, and to evaluate the efficacy, complications, and the rate of recurrence of disease. Settings and Design: A prospective cohort conducted at the Department of Surgery, the Indus Hospital Korangi Karachi, from September 2010 till December 2013. Methods and Material: Non-probability sampling technique was employed to induct the patients. All patients were followed for two years after the fall of the seton, in our outpatient clinics. Continuous data, was analysed as means (± Standard deviation), whereas categorical data, as percentages & proportions. Results: A total of 31 cases were inducted in this study; out of which 26 (83.87%) were male, and 5 (16.13%) were female. The average duration of fall of seton was found to be 65 days (4-471 days). None of the cases required a single re-visit to the operating theatre. And no incontinence or recurrence had been observed. Post operatively, pain was the only complaint; in seven (22.6 %) patients. Conclusions: The use of this material as a seton has proved, not only to be easy to handle, but also has reduced the visits to the operative room, and has shown to low complication and recurrence rates.

Keywords: SETON. Fistula in ano. Cable-ties.