Abstract
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the technique and results of long-term, indwelling setons for low transsphincteric and intersphincteric anal fistulas. METHOD: Long-term, indwelling setons were performed in 108 consecutive patients with low transsphincteric and intersphincteric anal fistulas. Progress and results of 73.1 percent of cases were assessed in a retrospective study. RESULTS: Therapy lasted for an average of 54.8 weeks; mean follow-up was 62 weeks. Relapse occurred in 3.7 percent of cases and incontinence in 0.9 percent. Average period spent in a hospital was 0.3 days/case. CONCLUSIONS: A long-term, indwelling seton is a good alternative to primary surgical treatment of low transsphincteric and intersphincteric anal fistulas. Relapse quota is comparable with that of primary surgically treated cases; incontinence is rarer with long-term, indwelling seton. Complete treatment can generally be performed in the outpatient department. One disadvantage is that therapy takes much longer than cases treated by primary surgery.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hanley PH. Rubber band seton in the management of abscess-anal fistula. Ann Surg 1978;187:435–7.
Ramanujam PS, Prasad ML, Abcarian H. The role of seton in fistulotomy of the anus. Surg Gynecol Obstet 1983;157:419–22.
Brühl W, Neundorf G, Krause H, Roschke W. Das perianale fistelleiden. Teil B: Die langzeitige Fadendrainage. Coloproctology 1986;8:175–81.
Roschke W, Krause H. Die proktologische sprechstunde. 5th ed. München: Urban & Schwarzenberg, 1983.
Raulf F. Diagnose und Therapie proktologischer Erkrankungen. Münster: Dr. Kade, 1992.
Hertel E. Zur schrittweisen spaltung der analfisteln mittels einer schraubenschlinge. Chirurg 1954;25:16–8.
Hess E, Daum R. Die behandlung der analfisteln mit dem drahtzugverfahren. Chirurg 1959;30:355–8.
Buchmann P. What is the place of the seton drainage? Different techniques and methods of our own method. In: Givel JC, Oates GD, Thomson JP, eds. Updates in colo-proctology. Berlin: Springer, 1992:224–8.
Williams JG, MacLeod CA, Rothenberger DA, Goldberg SM. Seton treatment of high anal fistulae. Br J Surg 1991;78:1159–61.
Bennett RC. A review of the results of orthodox treatment for anal fistulae. J R Soc Med 1962;55:756–7.
Hill JR. Fistulas and fistulous abscesses in the anorectal region: personal experience in management. Dis Colon Rectum 1967;10:421–34.
Mazier WP. The treatment and care of anal fistulas: a study of 1000 patients. Dis Colon Rectum 1975;14:134–44.
Kuypers JH. Diagnosis and treatment of fistula-in-ano. Neth J Surg 1982;34:147–52.
Vasilevsky CA, Gordon PH. Results of treatment of fistula-in-ano. Dis Colon Rectum 1985;28:225–31.
Khubchandani M. Comparison of results of treatment of fistula-in-ano. J R Soc Med 77;1984:369–71.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Read at the 19th Coloproctology Meeting, Bad Homburg, Germany, March 5 to 7, 1993.
About this article
Cite this article
Lentner, A., Wienert, V. Long-term, indwelling setons for low transsphincteric and intersphincteric anal fistulas. Dis Colon Rectum 39, 1097–1101 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02081407
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02081407