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Impact of Surgical Timing on Anal Fistula Outcomes

NCT07482241 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 90

Last updated 2026-03-19

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study aims to evaluate if the amount of time a person experiences symptoms of an anal fistula before having surgery affects their surgical outcomes and recovery.

An anal fistula is a chronic condition that typically requires surgery to heal properly. In routine clinical practice, many patients experience a significant delay before getting surgery due to a variety of reasons, such as under-reporting symptoms, misdiagnosis, or prolonged conservative treatments. Doctors want to understand if this delay in surgical intervention allows ongoing infection and scarring to complicate the surgery and worsen the patient's recovery.

To investigate this, researchers will observe 90 adult patients who are undergoing definitive surgery for a primary anal fistula. The participants will be divided into three groups based on how long they had symptoms before their operation:

3 months or less Between 3 and 6 months More than 6 months

The main goal of the study is to compare these groups to see how many patients achieve complete clinical healing and how many experience a recurrence (the fistula returning) within 12 months after the surgery. Additionally, the study will track secondary outcomes, including how long it takes the wound to heal completely, any postoperative complications, changes in bowel control (fecal incontinence), pain resolution, and the patient's overall postoperative quality of life. The findings will help inform both doctors and patients on the optimal timing for anal fistula surgery.

Conditions

  • Anal Fistula Surgery
  • Anal Fistula
  • Surgery Timing

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Assiut University

    lead OTHER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-05-31
Primary Completion
2028-05-31
Completion
2028-06-30

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07482241 on ClinicalTrials.gov