Long-term follow-up study of loose combined cutting seton surgery for patients with high anal fistula

BACKGROUND: The treatment of high anal fistula (HAF) is still difficult for clinical surgeons. Our previous study demonstrated the short-term benefit of loose combined cutting seton (LCCS) for patients with HAF. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of LCCS for treating HAF patients. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled consecutive HAF patients who received LCCS therapy in our hospital between March 2014 and July 2017. After enrollment, all patients were followed up by clinical review. The patients’ clinical information and most recent follow-up results were collected. Pain was assessed by the visual analog scale (VAS), and the severity of fecal incontinence was assessed by the Wexner Continence Grading Scale. We also assessed the patients’ quality of life (QOL) using a the MOS item short from health survey (SF-36) questionnaire. HAF healing was considered the primary outcome, while the fistula recurrence rate, severity of fecal incontinence, and QOL were the secondary outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 22 patients (18 male, four female) were enrolled in the final analysis. The mean duration of follow-up was 3.65 years (interquartile range: 3.55–4.22; range, 3.50–5.43). All patients were cured and there was no recurrence during the follow-up period. Eight patients reported a Wexner score of 1, while the remaining patients reported a score of 0 at the final follow-up. Furthermore, one patient had a VAS score of 1, while the remaining patients had a VAS score of 0, which indicated almost no postoperative pain. The QOL of all patients improved significantly. CONCLUSIONS: LCCS is an effective method to treat HAF patients. Large, multicenter randomized controlled trials are warranted.