Quality of life of patients after surgical treatment of anal fistula; the role of anal manometry.

OBJECTIVE

This study was undertaken to assess the quality of life of patients after surgical treatment of anal fistula and to investigate whether anal manometry (AM) can guide the choice of the proper surgical intervention in these patients in order to protect the sphincter mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred patients with anal fistula (AF) were studied prospectively (78 men; mean age 45 years; range 11-78). Cleveland Incontinence Score (CIS) was record pre-operatively and 1 and 3 months postoperatively for each patient in order to specify their quality of life (QOL) before and after the surgical treatment. Also, anal manometry (AM) was performed pre-operatively and 1 month postoperatively. The pre-operative anal pressures and the type of fistula determined the kind of the surgical treatment. 55 patients had an intersphincteric fistula, 42 trans-sphincteric and 3 suprasphincteric. 65 patients underwent laying open of the fistulous track, 7 fistulectomy and 28 were treated by seton fistulotomy.

RESULTS

Three patients had defective gas control and 6 reported some degree of soiling. 3 patients developed recurrent fistula. CIS was significantly impaired (P=0.02) at the first postoperative month in these patients who were treated for trans-sphincteric fistula by fistulotomy; AM revealed significant decrease of anal pressures in these patients (resting and squeeze; P=0.007 and 0.0001 respectively); CIS and AM in the remaining cases revealed no significant deterioration of QOL and fall of anal pressures respectively. CIS was normal in the vast majority of patients at 3-months postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

QOL of patients after surgical treatment of AF is unalterable on the understanding that the AF is simple and the treatment is not associated by incontinence or recurrence. Pre-operative AM is important regarding the choice of the proper surgical procedure.