Cryosurgical Treatment of Anal Sac Fistulae in Dogs

Authors: MEHMET SAĞLAM, ÜMİT KAYA

Abstract: Seven dogs of different breed, age, and sex that were diagnosed with anal sac fistulae upon clinical examination constituted the study material. Sedation for the procedure was maintained by means of xylazine hydrochloride administered intramuscularly. The patients were placed in the lateral recumbency position for the insertion into the fistulae of an appropriate probe, selected according to the lesion. Rapid cooling and spontaneous thawing were performed. This procedure was performed twice consecutively. The cooling temperature was adjusted to between -30 and -50 °C. The lesion healed completely between weeks 3 and 6 following the demarcation of necrotic tissue and growth of healthy granulation tissue. No postoperative antibiotic treatment was applied in any of the cases. Furthermore, during this period, no indicative clinical symptoms of haemorrhage, itching, or development of infection was observed. Various treatment options such as surgery and medical management are applied for the treatment of anal sac fistulae. The advantages of cryosurgical therapy in the perianal region are reported to include a low rate of recurrence, healing without any complication, ease of performance, no risk of haemorrhage, and prognosis ranging from good to excellent. According to the results from an evaluation of cases in this clinical study, cryosurgery was a more preferable option for the treatment of anal sac fistulae, when compared to surgical methods.

Keywords: Anal sacculitis, anal sac abscess, anal sac fistulae, cryosurgery, fistulae

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