An anal fistula, is also called as fistula- in -ano, it is a small channel that develops between the end of the large intestine called the anal canal and the skin near the anus. This is a painful condition, especially when the patient is passing stools. It can also cause bleeding and discharge during defecation.

Genesis of fistula-in-ano
Almost all anal fistulae occur due to an anorectal abscess that begins as an infection in one of the anal glands. This infection spreads down to the skin around the anus causing fistula-in -ano. The anorectal abscess usually leads to pain and swelling around the anus, along with fever. Treatment for anorectal abscess involves incising the skin over the abscess to drain the pus. This is done usually under local anesthesia. A fistula-in-ano happens when there is failure of the anorectal abscess wound to heal completely. Almost 50% of patients with an abscess go on to develop a chronic fistula-in-ano.

Symptoms

Pain- Constant pain which gets worse when sitting down
Irritation around the anus, like swelling, redness and tenderness
Discharge of blood or pus
Constipation or pain while evacuation
Fever
Diagnosis
A clinical evaluation, including a digital rectal examination under anesthesia, is carried out to diagnose anal fistula. However, few patients may be advised screening for rectal cancer, sexually transmitted diseases and diverticular disease.

Treatment
The only cure for an anal fistula is surgery. The type of surgery will depend on the position of the anal fistula. Most patients are treated by simply laying open the fistula tract to flush out pus, called Fistulotomy. This type is used in 85-95% of cases and the fistula tract heals after one to two months.

Seton techniques: A seton is a piece of thread (silk, plastic) which is left in the fistula tract to treat anal fissures. This is used if a patient is at high risk of developing incontinence after fistulotomy.
Advancement flap procedures: When the fistula is considered complex, carrying a high risk of incontinence, then this advanced technique is used.
Other techniques like Fibrin glue and Bioprosthetic plug are also used to surgically treat anal fistulas. In the Fibrin glue technique, glue is injected into the fistula to seal the tract, after which the opening is stitch closed. Bioprosthetic plug is a cone shaped plug made from human tissue, which is used to block the internal opening of the fistula. After this stitches are used to keep the plug in place. 

Whatever the surgical technique, one can experience minor changes in continence. Patients usually don t require antibiotics after surgery but have to take pain medication. They may also have to use gauze to soak up drainage from anus. After surgery, patients should seek help if they have increased pain or swelling, heavy bleeding, difficulty in urination, high temperature, nausea or constipation.

Fistula-in-Ano or Anal Fistula - How It Can Be Treated?

Anal Fistula - What Causes It? 
An anal fistula refers to a small infected tunnel connecting the anus to the outer skin. Your body eliminates solid waste products or feces through the anus. When any of the glands inside the anus becomes infected or blocked, an abscess may form, which in turn results in formation of anal fistula. In about 50% of the cases, abscesses develop into fistulae. What are the causes for anal fistula? Anal fistulae occur primarily due to the formation of an abscess or infection in the anus. If the abscess does not heal completely after the pus has been drained away, a fistula can develop. 

Other factors responsible for the occurrence of anal fistulae are- 

Crohn s disease- a chronic condition where the digestive system becomes inflamed. 
Diverticulitis- an inflammation of the small pouches that develop along the intestinal walls. 
Hidradenitis suppurativa- a chronic painful skin condition which causes scarring and abscesses on the skin. Apart from these, people with HIV or infected with Tuberculosis disease also develop anal fistulae. If you ve had a surgery around the anus, then post-surgery complications may lead to infection or abscess on the skin. 
What are the symptoms to watch out for? 
The commonly observed signs and symptoms of anal fistulae include- 

Irritation or discomfort on the skin around the anus 
Occasional throbbing pain, especially while seated, moving around or having a bowel movement 
Nodular swelling around anal region 
Intermittent Discharge of blood or pus from an opening near anal orifice. 
How does Ayurveda treat anal fistulae? 
Ayurveda recommends Ksharsutra treatment for complete healing of Anal Fistula. 

In this procedure; Ksharsutra   a medicated thread is placed in Fistula tract. Medicine released from Ksharsutra debrides the fistula tract and induces healing. This medicine remains active for about 5-7 days so this thread needs to be changed with a new thread at weekly interval. No. of Ksharsutra changes required for complete healing of Fistula depends on length depth and branching pattern of fistula. It has been observed that Fistula heals at the rate of 0.5 to 1 cm per Ksharsutra changes so for a fistula tract of 3 cm length about 4-5 weekly thread changes are necessary for complete healing. Clinical trials conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research at AIIMS New Delhi have proved that Ksharsutra treatment is more convenient and more effective than Surgery in case of Anal Fistula. In this way Ksharsutra is the best way to treat Anal Fistula without Surgery.

Anal Fistula - What Causes It?

A fistula is an abnormal, tube-like connection, a passage or hole that forms between two organs or an organ in your body and your skin. There are various types of fistulas that can develop in different parts of your body but the most common types are-

1. Obstetric Fistulas: This is the name given to a hole between the vagina and rectum or bladder. A vaginal fistula that opens into the urinary tract is called a vesicovaginal fistula and one that opens into the rectum is called a rectovaginal fistula. 

A woman with obstructed labour or labour that is not attended by a doctor or a midwife, can suffer labour pain for up to six or seven days. And as the labour produces contractions that push the baby s head against the mother s pelvic, the soft tissues between the baby s head and the pelvic bone are compressed and do not receive adequate blood flow between the mother s bladder and vagina and/or between the rectum and vagina.
This means that a hole forms on the vaginal wall between the urinary tract and her rectum. The urine and faeces thus start to leak from the vaginal opening causing soiling and foul smell.

Apart from labour, hysterectomies that damage the vaginal wall can also cause such types of fistulas.

Enterovaginal   A woman may have gas and foul smelling fluids leaking out of her vagina due to an enterovaginal fistula which is a hole between the vagina and the digestive tract. It s usually caused due to inflammatory bowel disease or IBD and ulcerative colitis.

2. Anal fistula

These are fistulas that form between the end of the bowel and skin near the anus.

An anal fistula usually develops due to a previous or current anal abscess. An anal abscess is an infected cavity filled with pus found near the anus due to an acute infection in the internal glands of the anus.

Common symptoms are:

Pain in the anorectal area
Swelling
Redness
Fever
Rectal bleeding
Urinary symptoms, such as trouble initiating urination or painful urination
Causes:

Inflammatory bowel disease   a chronic condition of the GI track which causes inflammation
Diverticulitis   An infection in the large intestine
Tuberculosis, HIV
Surgery near the anus
Anal abscess and likewise anal fistula are treated by surgical drainage in which an incision is made in the skin near the anus to drain the infection causing an anal abscess. Hospitalization may be required for patients who have impaired immunity like diabetics.

Anal fistula though has no medical treatment and surgery is almost always necessary to cure it.

If the fistula is straightforward which means one that involves minimal sphincter muscle, a fistulotomy may be performed. This involves cutting open the whole length of the fistula so it heals.
Seton is another procedure in which a surgical thread called a seton is placed in the fistula and left there to help it heal.

Different Types of Fistula and Treatments!

Fistula-in-Ano is a type of an abnormal hollow cavity that is lined with granulation tissue. It connects a primary opening inside the anal canal to the second opening in the perianal skin. There are certain conventional surgical methods like Fistulotomy and Fistulectomy, which have been used but they involve certain complications like delayed healing, narrowing down of the blood vessels or other tubular organs. Modern surgical techniques also come up with similar kinds of issues. Thus modern surgery cannot provide satisfactory modes of treatment for this problem.
Kshar Sutra is basically an ayurvedic parasurgical treatment that involves management of Anorectal disorders for treating Fistula-in-Ano. The technique is minimally invasive in nature.

Following are some of the tips related to the Ayurvedic Treatment Of Fistula-in- Ano with Kshar Sutra:

1. Safe and Extremely Cost-Effective:
This type of surgery uses a thread, also known as Kshar Sutra, especially prepared by herbal chemical cauterization. Cauterization is the medical practice of getting part of the body burnt, for either removing or closing off a particular part to cure diseases like Fistula-in-Ano. Hence, people can safely go for this treatment procedure because there is absolutely no risk element involved. Moreover, as the use of thread is involved in treating the problem, so basically, the minimum expense is involved. So patients need not pay much.

2. Customized Treatment:
Usually, three kinds of Kshar Sutra get used, depending upon the number of coatings and the quality of materials implemented. Coatings are created with ayurvedic herbs and treatment for each and every patient
takes place in a customized manner depending upon their individual requirements.

3. No Side-Effects:
As the coatings for the Kshar Sutra involve the use of ayurvedic herbs, so there is absolutely no chance of any side-effect as herbs are completely natural, having antiseptic, debridement and healing properties.

4. Can Get Rid of Other Disorders:
While undergoing the Kshar Sutra treatment for Fistula-in-Ano, patients are even routinely investigated with a special type of reference for any other associated disorder like Hypertension, Tuberculosis, Diabetes Mellitus, etc.
So, Kshar Sutra not only helps people to get relief from the problem of Fistula-in-Ano but also assists in getting rid of other associated problems.

5. Maintenance of Diet as Part of Ayurvedic Management:
Those patients, who suffer from the painful disease of Fistula-in-Ano, Ayurveda instructs them to maintain a healthy diet in the form of fruits and vegetables. On the contrary, they must avoid the excess amount of spicy foods, along with items that cause constipation and even make sure to not have too much garlic, and potato.

6. Keep Yourself Hydrated:
Drinking plenty of water is extremely essential as this helps to clear off the channels and also allow people to flush off stools and toxins from the body.

Treatment Of Fistula-In-Ano With Ksharsutra!

Fistula-in-Ano is a type of an abnormal hollow cavity that is lined with granulation tissue. It connects a primary opening inside the anal canal to the second opening in the perianal skin. Ayurveda has perfect surgical techniques which can help you root out this problem without leaving any chances of recurrence.

Kshar Sutra is basically an ayurvedic parasurgical treatment that involves management of Anorectal disorders for treating Fistula-in-Ano. The technique is minimally invasive in nature. Following are some of the tips related to the Ayurvedic Management & Kshar Sutra in Fistula-in-Ano:

Safe and Extremely Cost-Effective: This type of surgery uses a thread, also known as Kshar Sutra, especially prepared by herbal chemical cauterization. Cauterization is the medical practice of getting part of the body burnt, for either removing or closing off a particular part to cure diseases like Fistula-in-Ano. Hence, people can safely go for this treatment procedure because there is absolutely no risk element involved. Moreover, as the use of thread is involved in treating the problem, so basically, the minimum expense is involved. So, patients need not pay much.



Customized Treatment: Usually, three kinds of Kshar Sutra get used, depending upon the number of coatings and the quality of materials implemented. Coatings are created with ayurvedic herbs and treatment for each and every patient takes place in a customized manner depending upon their individual requirements.

Can Get Rid of Other Disorders: While undergoing the Kshar Sutra treatment for Fistula-in-Ano, patients are even routinely investigated with a special type of reference for any other associated disorder like Hypertension, Tuberculosis, Diabetes Mellitus etc.

So, Kshar Sutra not only helps people to get relief from the problem of Fistula-in-Ano but also assists in getting rid of other associated problems.

Maintenance of Diet as Part of Ayurvedic Management: Those patients, who suffer from the painful disease of Fistula-in- Ano, Ayurveda instructs them to maintain a healthy diet in the form of fruits and vegetables. On the contrary, they must avoid the excess amount of spicy foods, along with items that cause constipation and even make sure to not have too much of garlic, chillies and potato.
Keep Yourself Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water is extremely essential as this helps to clear off the channels and also allow people to flush off stools and toxins from the body.

Fistula-In-Ano - Ayurvedic Management & Surgery (Ksharsutra) For It! 

Anal fistula, a challenge for modern surgery, but can be cured with grade ksharsutra in Ayurveda (Indian system of medicine).  Anal fistula is a disease for which different methods of treatment have been advocated time to time, even today when we are talking about robotic surgery, this disease has no satisfactory method of treatment in modern surgery. The latest method of video assisted anal fistula treatment (VAAFT) is not satisfactory due to high incidences of recurrence after the surgery. But at Sushruta Anorectal Institute New Delhi; with the help of Graded KsharsutraTM all these patients of complex Anal fistula are being successfully treated.

In Ayurveda about 2000 yrs ago Acharya Sushruta has indicated ksharsutra treatment to treat fistula-in-ano. Late professor P J Deshpandey at the faculty of Ayurveda Institute of Medical Sciences B H U; had done extensive research in this field and established a treatment module to cure this disease. In 1990 Indian council of medical research has clinically evaluated this Ayurvedic treatment module at four premiere institutes in our country including AIIMS Delhi & PGI Chandigarh. Subsequently, it was concluded by I.C.M.R. that in the patients of fistula in ano, ksharsutra treatment is more effective& convenient as compared to modern surgery.

Ksharsutra is a thread coated with certain Ayurvedic medicines known for their antiseptic, debridement & healing properties. After u v sterilization this medicated thread (ksharsutra) is used under complete aseptic precautions in the patients. The patient is routinely investigated with special reference to any other associated disorder like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis etc. The next step lies in the proper identification& evaluation of the fistulous tract. It is mandatory to define the fistula tract wrt its depth, direction & branching pattern. This may be achieved by careful probing under expert hands using malleable probes& if required help may be taken from other investigations like x-ray fistulogram or MRI fistulogram. 

Once the tract has been clearly defined the Ksharsutra is placed in it with the help of certain instruments, under local anesthesia. This entire procedure is usually completed in ten to fifteen mins. As there is no cutting of tissues hence no bleeding, no pain & patients can go home after half an hr rest in the daycare room. The medicine-coated on the thread is gradually released in the tract. The cumulative effect of the coated drugs exerts a powerful debridement effect on the fistula tract & induces healing by the fresh & healthy granulation tissues. Thus Ksharsutra is the mechanism of drug delivery precisely at the tissues involved. 

Every seventh or tenth day the old sutra is replaced with a new Ksharsutra till there is a final cut through. It has been observed that the tract heals @ 0.5-1 cm per week. The post-operative complications like recurrence of the disease, fecal incontinence, bleeding is not seen with Ksharsutra treatment. Further, this therapy is performed as an OPD procedure. No general anesthesia & no hospitalization is required. Patient maintains his normal routine activities as usual during the treatment period. 

 At Sushruta Anorectal Institute; Rohini - New Delhi, we have been working on this disease including piles fissures & pilonidal sinus for the last 30 yrs. Here we have developed the concept of Graded KsharsutraTM which has given us a more effective & convenient way to treat anal fistula. At Sushruta Anorectai Institute we have treated on record thousands of patients of anal fistula from different states including overseas patients. We have records to prove that the patients of high anal complex fistula, those have been operated two or three times but failed to heal were successfully treated at this institute.

How to Treat Anal Fistula Naturally without Surgery

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