This study aims to evaluate if the amount of time a person experiences symptoms of an anal fistula before having surgery affects their surgical outcomes and recovery.
An anal fistula is a chronic condition that typically requires surgery to heal properly. In routine clinical practice, many patients experience a significant delay before getting surgery due to a variety of reasons, such as under-reporting symptoms, misdiagnosis, or prolonged conservative treatments. Doctors want to understand if this delay in surgical intervention allows ongoing infection and scarring to complicate the surgery and worsen the patient's recovery.
To investigate this, researchers will observe 90 adult patients who are undergoing definitive surgery for a primary anal fistula. The participants will be divided into three groups based on how long they had symptoms before their operation:
3 months or less Between 3 and 6 months More than 6 months
The main goal of the study is to compare these groups to see how many patients achieve complete clinical healing and how many experience a recurrence (the fistula returning) within 12 months after the surgery. Additionally, the study will track secondary outcomes, including how long it takes the wound to heal completely, any postoperative complications, changes in bowel control (fecal incontinence), pain resolution, and the patient's overall postoperative quality of life. The findings will help inform both doctors and patients on the optimal timing for anal fistula surgery.