Laser (FiLaC) for anal fistula

What is anal fistula?

Anal fistulas appear in the rectal region, which can affect different numbers of skin layers. They arise as a result of an abscess, i.e. an encapsulated collection of pus, in the wall of the rectum.
As the disease progresses, fluids try to find a way out from this pus-filled cavity and fistula tracts start to form.
Anal fistulas can take different routes through the sphincter muscle. As a result, openings of the drainage tracts can often be seen in the skin of the anus; however the drainage tracts can also be situated towards the mucous membrane side. Discharge from the fistula opening - especially of pus, but also feces - is typical.

Diagnosis of Anal Fistula:

Your proctologist can gain an overview to using a digital examination, anoscopy or ultrasound. An external fistula opening can be recognized by the doctor during a visual examination of the anal region. The inner opening in the rectum can be felt as a small nodule. An MRI scan will generally speaking clearly show the fistula tracts and adjacent smaller abscesses.

Anal Fistula Laser Treatment:

The surgical technique adapted depends first of all on the route of the fistula. The (fistula) tract can either run under mucous membrane (by-passing the sphincter muscle) or break through the sphincter muscle partly or completely. Usually, surgery takes place under spinal cord anesthesia or general anesthesia.

FiLaC® - Fistula Laser Closure - the protective laser procedure.

After the flexible laser probe has been inserted, energy is introduced radially into the fistula tract in a defined manner.

The laser probe is slowly pulled back step by step like a zipper, and the fistula is being closed. The highly flexible probe is suitable for the application even in wound tracts and can be applied independently from the length of the fistula tract. The fistula tract collapses. This means that the fistula does not have to be removed by the surgeon during a major operation. The treatment is almost painless and convalescence noticeably shorter than with conventional surgical procedures.

The laser treatment takes only a few minutes and provides the possibility to completely spare the enucleation of the fistula out of the healthy tissue.