Dr. Samhitha Reddy
Consultant Proctologist & Laparoscopic Surgeon
MBBS, MS, FMAS, FISCP, DMAS
- 8 Yrs
- ASCRS Member
Proctology · Fistula-in-ano
Anal Fistula Treatment in Hyderabad: Laser Surgery at Lux Hospitals
An anal fistula is a tunnel that forms between the anal canal and the skin around the anus, usually in the aftermath of an abscess. Left alone it does not close: it discharges, it flares, and it recurs.
Our proctologists at Lux Hospitals, HITEC CITY treat fistulas with sphincter-preserving techniques, including laser closure, so the tract heals without putting your continence at risk.
- Laser & Sphincter-Preserving
- Low Recurrence
- Day-Care Procedure
What is an Anal Fistula?
An anal fistula is an abnormal connection between the anal canal and the skin around the anus. It usually develops from an infected gland that forms an abscess, and when that abscess drains it leaves behind a tunnel that does not close on its own.
The tunnel has two ends: an internal opening inside the anal canal and an external opening on the skin, often visible as a small pinhole that weeps pus or blood. Between them runs the tract, which may be short and straight or long and branched.
Fistulas are classified by how the tract relates to the sphincter muscles: intersphincteric (between the internal and external sphincters), transsphincteric (crossing the external sphincter), suprasphincteric (looping above it) and extrasphincteric (running from the rectum to the skin). That classification is what decides the operation, because it decides how much muscle is at risk.
Causes of Anal Fistula
Almost every fistula begins as an infection in one of the small glands inside the anal canal. What differs is why that gland became infected.
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A previous perianal abscess
By far the commonest cause. Roughly one in three abscesses leaves a fistula behind after it drains.
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Blocked anal glands
When a gland’s outlet blocks, bacteria multiply inside it and the infection tunnels outward to find a way out.
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Crohn’s disease
Inflammation through the full thickness of the bowel wall creates fistulas that are often multiple and complex.
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Tuberculosis
Still a relevant cause in India, and one worth testing for when a fistula recurs despite correct surgery.
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Trauma or injury
Injury to the anal area, including from a foreign body or a difficult instrumentation, can open a tract.
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Complications of surgery
Uncommon, but previous anal surgery or a poorly healed wound can leave a communication behind.
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Childbirth injury
A severe perineal tear during delivery can result in a rectovaginal fistula, a related but distinct problem.
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Radiation to the pelvis
Radiotherapy for pelvic cancers damages tissue healing and occasionally results in fistula formation.
Identifying the cause matters as much as finding the tract: a Crohn’s fistula treated as a simple one will recur, and so will a tubercular one.
Symptoms of an Anal Fistula
A fistula announces itself through discharge rather than through pain: the pain usually belongs to the abscess that preceded it.
What you notice day to day
- Persistent discharge of pus, blood or foul-smelling fluid near the anus
- A small opening or pinhole in the skin around the anus
- Skin irritation, itching and soreness from constant moisture
- Staining on underwear that keeps recurring
- Discomfort that eases when the tract drains and builds again when it does not
Signs of a flare or abscess
- Throbbing pain that worsens when sitting or during bowel movements
- A tender, hot swelling beside the anus
- Redness and hardening of the surrounding skin
- Fever and feeling generally unwell
- Sudden relief accompanied by a gush of pus, as the abscess bursts
Discharge that keeps coming back after an abscess "healed" is the classic fistula story. It is not a wound that is taking its time: it is a tract that needs closing.
How an Anal Fistula is Diagnosed
The aim is to map the tract before touching it, where it starts, where it ends, and how much sphincter lies in between. An operation planned without that map is how continence gets damaged.
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Clinical examination
The external opening is usually visible. Its position relative to the anus predicts the likely course of the tract.
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Digital rectal examination
Feels for the internal opening, for induration along the tract, and assesses the resting tone of the sphincter.
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Proctoscopy
Direct view of the anal canal to locate the internal opening, which is what any successful operation must close.
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MRI fistulogram
The gold standard for complex, recurrent or branched fistulas. It shows the tract, any side branches, and its exact relationship to the sphincter.
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Endoanal ultrasound
A quicker alternative that images the tract and the sphincter in the clinic, often with hydrogen peroxide to highlight the tunnel.
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Tests for underlying disease
Colonoscopy, biopsy or TB workup where the pattern suggests Crohn’s disease or tuberculosis rather than a simple cryptoglandular fistula.
For a simple, first-time fistula an examination and a proctoscopy are usually enough. For anything recurrent or branched, we scan before we operate.
Treatment Options for Anal Fistula
A fistula rarely heals without intervention. The choice of operation is a trade-off between closing the tract for good and preserving the sphincter, and the classification decides where that balance sits.
Supportive
Medication and supportive care
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Antibiotics
Control active infection and settle a flare. They do not close a tract: they buy time before, or alongside, surgery.
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Seton placement
A soft surgical thread is passed through the tract to keep it draining, settling inflammation and letting a complex fistula mature into one that can be safely divided later.
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Treating the underlying disease
Where Crohn’s or tuberculosis is the driver, medical therapy for that condition is part of the treatment, not a preliminary to it.
Surgical
Surgical treatments for anal fistula
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Laser closure (FiLaC)
A laser fibre is drawn along the tract, sealing it from the inside. No muscle is divided, which makes it the safest option for continence, and it is done as day care.
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Fistulotomy
The tract is laid open and allowed to heal from the base upward. Highly effective and the definitive answer for low, simple fistulas involving little or no sphincter.
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LIFT procedure
Ligation of the Intersphincteric Fistula Tract: the tunnel is tied off and divided in the plane between the two sphincters, leaving both muscles intact.
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Advancement flap
The internal opening is covered with a flap of healthy rectal tissue. Used for high or complex fistulas where laying open is not an option.
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VAAFT
Video-Assisted Anal Fistula Treatment: a fine endoscope goes into the tract so the surgeon can see and destroy it under direct vision, including any hidden side branches.
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Fibrin glue or bioplug
The tract is sealed with a biological glue or plugged with absorbable material. Least invasive of all, with a correspondingly higher recurrence rate.
Each treatment is chosen on the type, height and complexity of the fistula and on the state of your sphincter. For most simple fistulas seen here, laser closure is the first offer.
What Laser Fistula Surgery Involves
The sphincter-preserving option, and the one most of our fistula patients have. About forty minutes in theatre, no external wound, home the same day.
FiLaC: laser fistula closure
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Pre-operative assessment
Routine bloods, an MRI or ultrasound map of the tract where the fistula is complex, and a six-hour fasting window.
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Anaesthesia
A short spinal or general anaesthetic. The procedure is not painful and you are awake and comfortable soon afterwards.
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Identifying the tract
A fine probe is passed from the external opening to confirm the course of the tunnel and locate the internal opening precisely.
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Cleaning the tract
The tunnel is curetted to remove granulation tissue and debris: the laser seals a clean tract far more reliably than a dirty one.
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Laser energy applied
A radial laser fibre is passed to the far end of the tract and withdrawn at a controlled rate, delivering energy circumferentially so the tunnel collapses and seals behind it.
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Closing the internal opening
The internal opening is closed with a stitch or a small flap. This is the step that decides recurrence: an unsealed internal opening keeps feeding the tract.
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Recovery & discharge
Two to four hours in day care, then home the same evening with antibiotics, painkillers and a follow-up date.
Because no sphincter muscle is cut, the risk of incontinence, the complication people most fear from fistula surgery, is close to nil with this technique.
Why Choose Lux Hospitals for Anal Fistula Treatment in Hyderabad?
Fistula surgery is where proctology experience shows most, because the difference between a cure and a recurrence is a millimetre of anatomy. Here is why patients trust us:
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Expert surgeons
Led by Dr. Samhitha Reddy, a member of the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons, with a dedicated colorectal practice.
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Sphincter-preserving first
We reach for laser, LIFT and flap techniques before anything that divides muscle, so continence is protected.
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Comprehensive care
From the first consultation through to post-treatment follow-up, with one team throughout.
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Convenient location
Our hospital is in HITEC CITY, near IKEA: easily reachable from across Hyderabad.
Recovery & Aftercare
Recovery after laser closure is quick; after a fistulotomy the wound is left open to heal from the base and takes longer, though it is comfortable throughout.
- Day 0
Home the same evening after laser surgery. Mild soreness, controlled with oral painkillers.
- Days 1–3
First bowel movement, usually uneventful. Sitz baths begin. Desk work is realistic from day three.
- Week 1
Some discharge from the external opening is expected and settles. First follow-up review at the end of the week.
- Weeks 2–6
The tract seals progressively. Normal activity and the gym resume. An open fistulotomy wound is dressed daily through this period.
- Months 2–3
Final review. Complete healing is confirmed: a fistula is only called cured once the external opening has stayed dry.
Aftercare
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Sitz baths
Ten minutes in warm water, two or three times a day. It cleans the area and relieves soreness better than anything else.
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Keep the area dry
Pat dry after every wash and change dressings as instructed. Constant moisture is what irritates the skin.
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Fibre and water
Soft, regular stools avoid straining across a healing tract. 25–30g of fibre and two to three litres of water a day.
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Finish the antibiotics
Complete the full course even once the discharge stops. A half-treated infection is a recurrence waiting to happen.
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When to call us
Fever, increasing pain, a new tender swelling, or discharge that restarts after it had settled.
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Keep every follow-up
Fistulas are followed for months, not weeks. The late reviews are what catch a recurrence while it is still small.
Recurrence is the real measure of fistula surgery, and it is driven by whether the internal opening was found and closed, which is why the operation is planned off a proper map rather than done on sight.
Cost of Anal Fistula Treatment in Hyderabad
What fistula surgery costs depends on the complexity of the tract and the technique it calls for. These are the ranges our patients fall into.
| Procedure | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Fistulotomy (simple, low fistula) Day care or one night’s stay | ₹35,000 – ₹60,000 |
| Laser closure (FiLaC) Day care, same-day discharge | ₹55,000 – ₹90,000 |
| LIFT procedure One night’s stay | ₹60,000 – ₹95,000 |
| VAAFT One night’s stay | ₹75,000 – ₹1,20,000 |
| Seton placement Usually a staged first procedure | ₹25,000 – ₹45,000 |
What changes the estimate
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Simple or complex tract
A single low tract and a branched, high, horseshoe fistula are different operations with different theatre times.
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Staged treatment
Complex fistulas are sometimes treated in two sittings (a seton first, definitive surgery later) and each is costed separately.
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Imaging required
An MRI fistulogram is added for recurrent or complex fistulas and is not needed for straightforward ones.
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Room category
A shared ward, a twin-sharing room or a private suite: the largest single swing in most estimates.
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Insurance & TPA cover
We are empanelled with most major insurers, and our team files the pre-authorisation for you.
Every figure above is an indicative range, not a quote. After your consultation you are given a written, fixed-cost estimate, and that is the number you pay, with no additions once treatment begins.
Benefits of Anal Fistula Treatment at Lux Hospitals
What patients treated here can expect:
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Continence protected
Sphincter-preserving techniques as the default, not the exception.
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Quick recovery
Day-care laser surgery, with most patients back at work inside a week.
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Low recurrence
The internal opening located and closed, which is what stops it coming back.
Other Proctology Treatments
Our Surgeons
Anal Fistula Specialists at Lux Hospitals
The proctologists and colorectal surgeons who treat anal fistulas at our HITEC CITY hospital.
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Dr. Samhitha Reddy
Consultant Proctologist & Laparoscopic Surgeon
MBBS, MS, FMAS, FISCP, DMAS
8 years experience
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Dr. Abhishek Katha
Consultant General & Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeon
MBBS, MS, FMAS
17 years experience
Testimonials
What Patients Say About Their Treatment
Reviews from patients treated for fistulas, piles and fissures at Lux Hospitals, Hyderabad.
From the Blog
Latest Health Articles by Lux
Written by Dr. Samhitha Reddy on fistulas, piles, fissures and colorectal health.
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Got Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about anal fistulas, their treatment, and what it costs at Lux Hospitals.
What is the difference between an anal fissure and an anal fistula?
An anal fissure is a small tear in the lining of the anus, usually caused by constipation or passing hard stools, and it causes sharp pain and bleeding during bowel movements. An anal fistula is a tunnel-like connection between the anal canal and the skin around the anus, usually following an abscess. Unlike fissures, fistulas produce persistent discharge, swelling and recurring infections.
What does an anal fistula look like?
It appears as a small opening or pinhole in the skin near the anus, which may discharge pus, blood or a foul-smelling fluid. The surrounding skin often looks red, swollen or irritated from the constant moisture.
Can an anal fistula heal on its own?
No, an anal fistula rarely heals on its own. It needs intervention (surgery or laser treatment) to close the tract and stop the infection recurring. Delaying treatment can lead to abscess formation, more tracts, and chronic discomfort.
Is anal fistula surgery painful?
The surgery itself is done under anaesthesia, so you feel nothing. Afterwards, laser closure leaves no external wound and most patients describe only mild soreness controlled by oral painkillers. An open fistulotomy wound is more tender but is manageable with medication and sitz baths.
Will fistula surgery affect my bowel control?
This is the main risk of any fistula operation, and it is why the technique is chosen so carefully. Sphincter-preserving procedures (laser closure, LIFT and advancement flaps) leave the muscle intact and carry a very low risk. Where a fistulotomy is appropriate, only a low fistula involving minimal muscle is treated that way.
Is an anal fistula dangerous?
Anal fistulas can become dangerous if left untreated. They may lead to recurring infections, abscesses and chronic pain, and in some cases to complications such as sepsis or incontinence. Early diagnosis and proper treatment prevent these risks.
How can I prevent an anal fistula?
Maintain good hygiene, avoid constipation with a high-fibre diet, stay hydrated, and get any perianal abscess treated promptly rather than waiting for it to burst. Treating the abscess properly is the single most effective way to avoid a fistula.
How long does recovery take after anal fistula surgery?
Recovery varies with the type of surgery and the complexity of the fistula. For minimally invasive treatments such as laser surgery, recovery typically takes about one to two weeks. For more complex surgeries it may take four to six weeks, and full healing is confirmed over two to three months.
What is the cost of anal fistula treatment at Lux Hospitals?
The cost varies with the complexity of the tract and the procedure used, ranging from about ₹35,000 for a simple fistulotomy to ₹1,20,000 for VAAFT. A written, fixed-cost estimate is shared with you after your consultation and before treatment begins.
How can I book an appointment for anal fistula treatment at Lux Hospitals?
You can book an appointment by calling us, messaging us on WhatsApp, or walking into Lux Hospitals, HITEC CITY.
Still have questions? Call us at 079 6908 4422
Still have questions? Message us on WhatsApp at 079 6908 4444
Book Your Anal Fistula Consultation in Hyderabad
Sphincter-preserving laser fistula surgery, with a fixed-cost estimate shared before treatment begins.
Plot No.116, Lumbini Avenue, HITEC CITY, Near IKEA, Hyderabad – 500032