This can happen in as many as 40% of patients after they develop a perianal abscess. An anal abscess is a pus-filled infected cavity near the anus or rectum. Most abscesses are caused by an acute infection of the anus' internal glands. Bacteria, faeces, or foreign materials can block an anal gland and tunnel into the tissue around the anus or rectum.
Causes of anal fistula
Several fluid-producing glands are located just inside your anus. They can get clogged or blocked at any time. An accumulation of germs can result in a swelling pocket of infected tissue and fluids. This is referred to as an abscess by doctors. If the abscess isn't treated or even if it has been drained surgically, it can still result in a fistula in ano. The fistula is the passageway between the gland and the orifice. An abscess is the most common cause of a fistula. This is not due to any personal hygiene neglect by the patient and can happen to anybody.
Anal fistula treatment
Anal fistulas almost always require surgery because they rarely heal on their own. The following are the critical choices:
- Fistulotomy - a surgery that entails cutting the fistula open throughout its entire length and allowing it to heal into a flat scar.
- Seton procedures - when a seton, a piece of surgical thread, is inserted in the fistula and kept there for many weeks to assist it to heal before a subsequent treatment is performed.