Opinion Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Surg. May 27, 2022; 14(5): 374-382
Published online May 27, 2022. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v14.i5.374
Comparison between recent sphincter-sparing procedures for complex anal fistulas-ligation of intersphincteric tract vs transanal opening of intersphincteric space
Pankaj Garg
Pankaj Garg, Department of Colorectal Surgery, Garg Fistula Research Institute, Panchkula 134113, India
Pankaj Garg, Department of Colorectal Surgery, Indus International Hospital, Mohali 140507, India
Author contributions: Garg P conceived and designed the study, collected and analyzed the data, revised the data, granted final approval and submitted the manuscript (guarantor of the review).
Conflict-of-interest statement: There is no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Pankaj Garg, MS, CEO, Chief Colorectal Surgeon, Department of Colorectal Surgery, Garg Fistula Research Institute, 1043, Sector 15, Panchkula 134113, India. drgargpankaj@gmail.com
Received: December 29, 2021
Peer-review started: December 29, 2021
First decision: January 27, 2022
Revised: January 29, 2022
Accepted: April 27, 2022
Article in press: April 27, 2022
Published online: May 27, 2022
Processing time: 146 Days and 13.8 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) and transanal opening of intersphincteric space (TROPIS) are two of the more recent innovative procedures introduced in the last decade. Both of these procedures have been shown to be quite effective in complex anal fistulas. As both procedures are primarily sphincter-sparing, they do not lead to deterioration in continence. The advantages and disadvantages, indications and contraindications of LIFT and TROPIS have been discussed in this opinion viewpoint as well as the role both these procedures are likely to play in the future.