ArticleInternational journal of colorectal disease2015
Long-term outcome of low perianal fistulas treated by fistulotomy: a multicenter study.
Article in International journal of colorectal disease, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 84 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of Laser-Based Fistula Therapies with and without Adjunctive Measures in Anal Fistulas Management: A Systematic Review and Single-Arm Meta-Analysis.International journal of colorectal disease · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Surgical management of complex perianal fistula revisited in a systematic review: a critical view of available scientific evidence.BMC surgery · 2023Pooled it
- Simple fistula-in-ano: is it all simple? A systematic review.Techniques in coloproctology · 2021Pooled it
- Tools for fecal incontinence assessment: lessons for inflammatory bowel disease trials based on a systematic review.United European gastroenterology journal · 2020Pooled it
- German S3 guidelines: anal abscess and fistula (second revised version).Langenbeck's archives of surgery · 2017Pooled it
- Treatment of fecal incontinence and post-fistulotomy "keyhole" deformity with single-site autologous microfat and stromal vascular fraction grafting.Annals of coloproctology · 2026Article
- Anal fistulas: do classification systems predict surgical outcomes?Arquivos brasileiros de cirurgia digestiva : ABCD = Brazilian archives of digestive surgery · 2026Article
- Female Trans-Sphincteric Anterior Anal Fistula: Still an Unsolved Problem-Results from a Nationwide Cohort Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Rerouting of the tract in the treatment of high anal fistula: a single-center experience.Techniques in coloproctology · 2025Article
- A Guide Through the Tunnel: Updates in the Approach to Classification and Management of Perianal Fistulizing Crohn's Disease.Current gastroenterology reports · 2025Review
- Clinical and Radiological Features of Perianal Fistula: An MRI-Based Study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Ethiopian journal of health sciences · 2024Article
- Efficacy of different surgical treatments for management of anal fistula: a network meta-analysis.Techniques in coloproctology · 2023Review
- Surgical treatment trends and outcomes for anal fistula: fistulotomy is still accurate and safe. Results from a nationwide observational study.Techniques in coloproctology · 2023Observational
- Article
- Would Surgeons Like to Be Submitted to Anal Fistulotomy? An International Web-Based Survey.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Horseshoe Fistulae in the Age of LIFT.Journal of gastrointestinal surgery : official journal of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract · 2022Article
- Anal fistula, there is more than meets the eye!Techniques in coloproctology · 2022Article
- Long-term outcomes after anal fistula surgery: results from two university hospitals in Thailand.Annals of coloproctology · 2022Article
- Coring-out fistulectomy for perianal cryptoglandular fistula: a retrospective cohort study on 20 years of experience at a single center.Annals of surgical treatment and research · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeFistulotomy is considered to be the golden standard for the treatment of low perianal fistula but might have more influence on continence status than believed. This study was performed to evaluate the healing rate after a fistulotomy and to show results for continence status.
methodsA retrospective database study was performed in one university medical center and its six affiliated hospitals. All patients treated with a fistulotomy for a low perianal fistula were identified. Healing and recurrence of the fistula were identified. Questionnaires on continence status and quality of life were mailed to all patients.
resultsIn total, 537 patients were identified. The primary etiology of the fistulas was cryptoglandular (66.5%). Recurrence was seen in 88 patients (16.4%) resulting in a primary healing rate of 83.6%. After secondary treatment for the recurrence, another 40 patients healed. This resulted in a secondary healing rate of 90.3%. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that at 5 years, the healing rate was 0.81 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.71-0.85). The mean Vaizey score was 4.67 (SD 4.80). Major incontinence, defined as a Vaizey score of >6, was seen in 95 (28.0%) patients. Only 26.3% of the patients had a perfect continence status (Vaizey score 0). Quality of life was not different from the general population.
conclusionsFistulotomy seems to be associated with a healing rate of 0.81 (95% CI 0.71-0.85) after 5 years. However, major incontinence is still reported by 26.8% of patients and only 26.3% of patients had a perfect continence status.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.