ANORECTAL FISTULA

Course overview

AN ANORECTAL FISTULA IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ANORECTAL CANAL AND PERIANAL AREA. IT IS A MORBID CONDITION THAT COMMONLY OCCURS FOLLOWING PERIANAL ABSCESS DRAINAGE AND REQUIRES THOROUGH FOLLOWUP TO DIAGNOSE AND TREAT. CLASSIFICATION OF FISTULAS IS VITAL IN GUIDING THERAPY. SURGICAL MANAGEMENT IS THE MAINSTAY OF TREATMENT, BUT KNOWLEDGE OF NOVEL THERAPIES AND SPHINCTER PRESERVING APPROACHES AND PREOPERATIVE IMAGING ARE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS TO PROVIDE PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE TREATMENT OPTIONS WHILE PRESERVING SPHINCTER INTEGRITY. THIS ACTIVITY COVERS DIAGNOSIS, CLASSIFICATION, PREOPERATIVE WORKUP, AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF ANORECTAL FISTULAS. ALSO, IT HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.