Anal Fistula Surgery in Pune
Sphincter-sparing technique, low recurrence. A laser / vaaft approach with same-day discharge and a typical recovery of 2–3 days. But surgery is the last step, not the first — start with a proctologist and rule out the simpler fixes.
How it works
You don't buy an operation here — you start with a doctor. Book a consultation first; Anal Fistula surgery happens only if a proctologist confirms you need it.
About anal fistula (fistula-in-ano)
An anal fistula is an abnormal track running between the inside of the anal canal and the skin near the anus. It usually begins as an infection of an anal gland that forms a perianal abscess; when the abscess drains, a track is left behind and keeps discharging. Fistulas are classified by how much of the anal sphincter muscle they cross — intersphincteric, transsphincteric, suprasphincteric, extrasphincteric — and that anatomy, not the size of the opening, decides which operation is safe. The thing being protected in every one of those decisions is continence.
When is surgery actually needed?
A fistula almost never closes on medicine alone. Antibiotics settle the surrounding infection but they do not heal the track, so conservative care here means draining an acute abscess, sitz baths and skin protection while the inflammation quietens — it is preparation, not an alternative. The definitive step is surgical, and it is timed once the acute sepsis has settled. An MRI fistulogram or endoanal ultrasound maps the track, its branches and its relation to the sphincter before anything definitive is done; skipping that mapping is how continence gets damaged. If Crohn's disease or tuberculosis is behind the fistula it has to be treated medically alongside, or the repair will fail whatever the technique.
Why laser, not open surgery
VAAFT (video-assisted anal fistula treatment) passes a fine fistuloscope along the track under direct vision, so the internal opening and any side branches are actually seen rather than probed for. The track is cleaned and cauterised and the internal opening is closed — the sphincter is never divided. Laser closure (FiLaC) works on the same sphincter-sparing principle, delivering radial energy along the track so the wall shrinks and seals. The trade-off is explicit: preserving the muscle accepts a higher chance of the track recurring than laying it open does.
Your options for anal fistula (fistula-in-ano)
Non-surgical options are listed first where they exist. Which one suits you depends on your examination and reports — this table is here so you can ask better questions, not to choose for you.
Our proctologist surgeons
Dr. Imran Sheikh
Senior
Dr. Vivek Rao
Senior
Dr. Sanjay Kulkarni
SeniorDr. Arjun Menon
SeniorCost, EMI & insurance
Covered by insurance
Anal Fistula surgery is covered by most health policies. We start cashless pre-authorisation before admission — you pay nothing extra at discharge.
Your recovery timeline
Week by week after anal fistula surgery
Home the same day with a small dressing. Some ooze from the external opening is normal and expected.
Discharge continues, sitz baths two or three times a day, dressings changed. Desk work usually resumes.
Discharge reduces markedly and the external opening starts to close. Keep stools soft.
The track heals. Follow-up examines for a residual opening — healing is judged on examination, not on how you feel.
The window in which a recurrence, if there is going to be one, usually declares itself.
Risks, preparation & aftercare
Every operation carries risk. These are the complications your surgeon will take you through before you consent — they are listed here so you read them without a pen in your hand.
Possible complications of anal fistula surgery
Before your procedure
MRI fistulogram or endoanal ultrasound to map the track. Fitness bloods and an infection screen. Blood sugars optimised if you are diabetic — healing here depends on it. Stop smoking. An enema on the morning, nothing to eat for 6 hours and clear fluids up to 2 hours before. Blood thinners reviewed with the prescribing doctor.
After you go home
Sitz baths two or three times a day and after every bowel movement, then dry the area properly and change the pad. A laxative to keep stools soft. Finish any antibiotic course prescribed. Report fever, increasing pain, swelling or fresh pus. Attend the review at two and six weeks — a fistula is declared healed by examination, not by the absence of symptoms.
Frequently asked questions
Start with a conversation, not a commitment.
Book a ₹750 consultation with a proctologist — adjusted into your surgery cost if you go ahead. No pressure, no surgery unless you need it.