Systematic review of efficacy of LIFT procedure in crpytoglandular fistula-in-ano

AbstractBackgroundfistula-in-ano is a common problem. Ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) is a new addition to the list of operations available to deal with complex fistula-in-ano.Objectivewe sought to qualitatively analyze studies describing LIFT for crpytoglandular fistula-in-ano and determine its efficacy.Data sourcesMEDLINE (Pubmed, Ovid), Embase, Scopus and Cochrane Library were searched.Study selectionall clinical trials which studied LIFT or compared LIFT with other methods of treatment for anal fistulae, prospective observational studies, clinical registry data and retrospective case series which reported clinical healing of the fistula as the outcome were included. Case reports, studies reporting a combination with other technique, modified technique, abstracts, letters and comments were excluded.Interventionthe intervention was ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract in crpytoglandular fistula-in-ano.Main outcome measureprimary outcome measured was success rate (fistula healing rate) and length of follow-up