Anal Fistula

Our Approach

Anal fistula treatment often depends on whether you have Crohn's disease. If you do, our doctors may recommend prolonged treatment with a variety of medications, including antibiotics. Often these medications will cure the infection and heal the fistula.

If you don't have Crohn's disease, our doctors may still recommend antibiotics first. If they do not help heal the fistula, surgery can help. You can undergo anal fistula surgery on an outpatient basis or with a short hospital stay.

How is an anal fistula diagnosed?

Your doctor will examine the area and look for an opening in the skin (a sign that a fistula has developed). If there are no visible signs on the skin's surface, your doctor will use an instrument called an anoscope to see inside the anal canal and lower rectum.

If your doctor finds an anal fistula, you will need further tests to see if you have Crohn's disease including:

• Blood tests
• X-rays
• Colonoscopy

What is an anal fistula?

An anal fistula is a tiny channel or tract that connects an abscess (infected opening) inside the anus to an opening in the skin. In women with Crohn's disease or obstetric injuries, the fistula could open into the vagina or bladder.

Anal fistulas develop in the presence of inflammation and infection. They may or may not be associated with certain illnesses such as Crohn's disease.

Since fistulas are infected channels, there is usually some drainage. A draining fistula can irritate the skin around it. If it is near the anus, there could be pain as well as redness and swelling.