Author(s)

Eric Patrick Savom^1,2, Georges Roger Bwelle Motto^2,3, Guy Aristide Bang^2,4, Joseph Cyrille Chopkeng^3*, Ricardo Fomene Ngouanet⁵, Ghislain Loïc Batimba Nolabia², Arthur Essomba^2,4

¹Yaounde General Hospital, Yaounde, Cameroon.
²Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon.
³Yaounde Central Hospital, Yaounde, Cameroon.
⁴Yaounde Hospital and Teaching Centre, Yaounde, Cameroon.
⁵Higher Institute of Medical Technologies of Yaounde, Yaounde, Cameroon.

Background: Ligation of the inter-sphincter fistula tract associated with anal plug (LIFT-Plug) is a new anal fistula treatment procedure at the Yaoundé Central Hospital. A two-sided prosthesis piece bent in the shape of a cone is used here as an anal plug. The aim of this work was to evaluate the therapeutic results and the safety of this device. Patients and Methods: The clinical data of patients operated by the LIFT-Plug technique from January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 for a high anal fistula were analyzed prospectively. The variables evaluated were operative time, cure rate, postoperative complications and recurrence rate. Results: We included 28 patients with a mean age of 42 years. The sex ratio was 1.15. No patient presented preoperative continence disorder. The fistula was high trans-sphincteric in 89.3% of cases. The average duration of surgery was 55.2 minutes (45 to 66 minutes). The postoperative course was straightforward, although 60.7% of the patients had experienced tingling that resolved spontaneously. Three patients (10.7%) presented with transient gas incontinence (WIS of 4) which completely resolved after one month. All patients healed within a mean of 63.21 days (25 to 95 days). At the end of the 6-month follow-up, no case of recurrence had been recorded. Conclusion: The LIFT-Plug is a simple, safe and effective technique for the treatment of upper anal fistula without major impairment of continence despite delayed healing. The adapted two-sided prosthesis is a good alternative to the conventional anal plug.

High Anal Fistula, LIFT-Plug, Healing, Postoperative Complications, Recurrence

Savom, E. , Bwelle Motto, G. , Bang, G. , Chopkeng, J. , Ngouanet, R. , Nolabia, G. and Essomba, A. (2022) Ligation of the Intersphincteric Fistula Traject with Placement of a Prosthesis: A New Technique in the Treatment of Fistula-in-Ano at Yaounde Central Hospital (Cameroon). Surgical Science, 13, 66-77. doi: 10.4236/ss.2022.132010.