EFFICACY OF LIGATION OF INTERSPHINCTERIC FISTULA TRACT (LIFT) PROCEDURE IN MANAGEMENT OF FISTULA-IN-ANO – A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

An anal stula is a common benign anal condition and its surgical treatment runs the risk of anal incontinence and recurrence rates. However, the Ligation of the intersphincteric Fistula Tract (LIFT) devised in 2007 results in zero sphincter damage and shorter hospital stay compared to conventional stulotomy. The study aimed to nd the efcacy of the LIFT procedure in patients suffering from trans-sphincteric stula-in-ano in terms of wound infection, anal incontinence, and recurrence rate. A prospective, observational study was carried out among 40 patients of either sex diagnosed with anal stula in the Department of Surgery, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar over a period of about 2 years. Statistical analysis was done by student t-test. The mean age group was 42.48 ± 10.33 years and 90% were male. Out of all the trans sphincteric stula-in-ano, 82.5% were posterior & 60.6% were posterior left side while the rest were anterior. The mean duration was 54.88 ± 10.17 mins. On average, hospital stay was 4.65 ± 1.37 days and the mean time to wound healing was 2.80 ± 1.02 weeks. Anal continence was 100% preserved in all patients. Only 3 (7.5%) patients had recurrence as observed at 6 months of follow-up. The LIFT procedure is an effective surgical procedure in terms of preventing wound infection and anal incontinence. The hospital stay was less, with early wound healing and a low pain score.