Healing after anal fistulotomy - Comparative study between HIV+ and HIV- patients

PURPOSE: The aim of this work was to compare wound-healing after anal fistulotomy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)+ and HIV-patients and to recognize healing parameters in HIV+ patients. METHODS: Sixty patients were treated with fistulotomy for intersphincteric anal fistula. For each patient, we evaluated white blood cell count values, T CD4 counts, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classification, and healing duration. There were 31 HIV+ patients (7 A2; 1 A3; 7 C1; 6 C2; 10 C3). RESULTS: Seven C3 patients had incomplete healing. Statistically, there was no difference in the healing duration in HIV+ A2, C1, C2, and HIV-negative patients. C3 patients who did heal took longer than other HIV+ patients. T CD4 counts were similar to healed and not healed C3 patients, although healed C3 values of white blood cell counts were higher than not healed C3 values (4,450 and 2,380/mm(3)). CONCLUSION: After anal fistulotomy, HIV+ C3 patients either had retarded healing or no healing at all. Therefore, we feel that surgery should be done only in emergency cases of anorectal diseases or in patients with more than 3,000 white blood cells/mm(3).