Objective: To assess the efficacy of ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) procedure as the treatment for fistula-in-ano.

Materials and Methods: Between July 2011 and June 2012, 36 patients with the diagnosis of fistula-in-ano underwent surgery. The LIFT procedure was performed in all the patients included in the present study. An observational study on the results of the treatment was collected during the follow up.

Results: Post-operative follow up showed that the fistula-in-ano healed in all 36 patients. The mean time of wound healing was 3.5 weeks with 4.5 days (three to seven days) being the average range of hospital stay. Six patients had recurrence of the fistula after primary healing, demonstrating an 83 percent success rate in the present study. None of these patients had problems with incontinence. The cases with recurrence returned with a simple fistula that could be easily corrected with any procedure.

Conclusion: Although the LIFT was a new technique created by Arun Rojanasakul, a colorectal surgeon, the results of his technique are very impressive when it is performed by another surgeon. The LIFT have a very high success rate of 83% with a low complication rate. Incontinence, which is the complication that has been reported from other surgical procedures, was not reported in the present study. Therefore, the authors concluded that a very good early outcome occurred with the LIFT procedure.

Keywords: Ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract, Outcome