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Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: fistula + fistula: + fistulas  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

Enlighten people on obstetric fistula DailyNewsOnline, United Republic of Tanzania - Jul 31, 2008 ?According to the surveys made by WDP on fistula, most people in the country, mainly in rural areas, have little access to health services. ... Public appeal to stop growing maternal deaths IPPmedia, United Republic of Tanzania - Aug 2, 2008 But little would she also know that the unborn baby brought fistula to her! It is slowly coming to surface. Tanzania produces between 2500 and 3000 new ... >>LASG Intensifies Training On Child, Maternal Mortality LeadershipNigeria, Nigeria - Aug 3, 2008 ... at least, 30 morbidities such as Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF), Rector-Vaginal Fistula (RVF),infertility and organ failures for every maternal death. Fistula treated without operation Udayavani, India - Jul 31, 2008 He was diagnosed of Carotid- cavernous fistula. Because of the large size of the communication and being a difficult area to approach, it would have been ... DaVita Inc. Q2 2008 Earnings Call Transcript Seeking Alpha, NY - The second clinical area, the placement of fistulas, we had 60% of our patients with fistula is placed, once again the combined LDOs doing better than the ...DVA BURKINA FASO: Fistula in Sahel region highlighted IRINnews.org, NY - Jul 28, 2008 OUAGADOUGOU, 28 July 2008 (IRIN) - Doctors in Burkina Faso say fistula is being under-reported, and are launching a new project to offer free surgery to ... Cleveland Free Times Fistula Gets Plague Cleveland Free Times, OH - Jul 29, 2008 By DX Ferris Akron?s Fistula has signed a two-record deal with Swedish label Plague Island. The first release is the sludge-metal band?s long-delayed ... Fistula and fairy children guardian.co.uk, UK - Jul 17, 2008 One of the most common and serious problems is obstetric fistula, with some estimates suggesting that up to three million women across the world are ... A question of life and death Times of India, India - Aug 1, 2008 She had one limb, a brain defect and a fistula between her wind and air pipes. The limb anomaly was picked up too late for action; the mother had her first ... Crohn Disease Journal of American Medical Association (subscription), IL - Aug 3, 2008 ... reaction of the involved intestinal wall, which frequently leads to stenosis of the lumen and is associated with the formation of multiple fistulas. ...

Fistula

The last stage of digestion is the collection of and passing from the body of solid wastes. These wastes (what is left of what we eat after the water and nutrients have been taken by our bodies) collect in the rectum and then are expelled through the anus.

The inside of the anus is lined with glands and four to six crypts, or pockets. Sometimes one of these pockets gets filled with stool. This can cause the gland to become infected and develop an anorectal abscess.

The abscess either opens by itself and drains or is surgically drained. A fistula is a tract or opening that forms under the skin from the anus to outside of the body. In about half of the cases where an abscess has occurred and drained, a fistula will form between the inside or the pocket and the opening where the infection drained. A fistula will not heal without treatment, which involves removing the pocket where the infection started.

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Having had an anorectal abscess usually precedes the development of a fistula. Signs of an anorectal abscess include:

• Fever
• A vague feeling of being unwell or uncomfortable
• Swelling and discomfort around or near the anus
• Redness around the area
• Drainage of pus or fluid from the area

A person who has had these symptoms should see his or her doctor to ensure that a fistula does not develop as a result of the infection.

The biggest factor in whether a person develops a fistula is whether they have had an anorectal abscess.

A physician will take the patient's medical history and do an examination to determine if a fistula exists.

Fistula tracts must be treated because they will not heal on their own. There is a risk of developing cancer in the fistula tract if left untreated for a long period of time.

Most fistulas are simple to treat. Either the tract or fistula can be opened or the tract and the pocket inside are completely removed. Because the fistula travels through the sphincter muscle, which encloses the anal canal, surgery must be done with care to avoid cutting too deeply into the muscle and allowing leaks of gas or liquid stool.

The surgeon determines how much muscle the fistula crosses before he begins surgery. If the fistula goes through most of the muscle, the surgeon will place a rubber band, or Seton, instead of surgically dividing the muscle. This will divide the muscle gradually over several weeks. Alternatively, the surgeon will leave the Seton in place as a drain only. Either method protects the muscle function and reduces the possibility of incontinence.