Treatment of anal stenosis: A 5-year review

Background: Benign anal stenosis is an uncommon, disabling and incapacitating disease, occurring mainly after anorectal surgery. Both non-surgical and surgical treatments have been devised in the treatment of anal stenosis with good results. We described the results of the treatment of this disease in the Coloproctology Department of our institution. Methods: A retrospective clinical study was undertaken over a 5-year period for consecutive patients operated on for anal stenosis. Results: Twenty-three patients with benign anal stenosis were treated in our department. Haemorrhoidectomy was the most common cause of anal stenosis (74%). Nineteen patients with moderate to severe symptoms of anal stenosis underwent surgical treatment. Lateral mucosal advancement flap was the most frequently carried out operation (63.1%). Four patients were treated with anal dilatation (17.3%). All patients had remission of the preoperative symptoms. There was no re-operation and only minor complications were present in four patients: three patients with anal pruritus and one patient with temporary incontinence. Conclusion: The easy performance, the absence of major complications and the good results obtained confirm that these methods are effective and safe in the treatment of anal stenosis.