✦ TRACT-FILLING FISTULA TREATMENT

Fistula Plug / Fibrin Glue

Q: How successful is fistula plug or glue?

Success rates are around 60–70% in carefully selected patients. The advantage is that even if it fails, sphincter preservation is complete and other techniques remain fully available.

Q: Why choose this over LIFT or FiLaC?

Plug or glue is the least invasive option and is sometimes preferred as a first attempt — especially in patients with a single well-defined tract or those wanting to avoid any additional procedures.

Q: Is the plug absorbed by the body?

Yes. The plug is made from bioabsorbable collagen or biological material that is gradually replaced by the body's own healing tissue over weeks to months.

Q: What if the fistula does not heal?

If healing is incomplete, options like LIFT, advancement flap, FiLaC, or VAAFT can be planned. Choosing plug or glue first does not limit any subsequent treatment.

Specialised plug or fibrin glue is placed inside the fistula tract to encourage natural healing — sphincter-sparing, minimally invasive option for select fistulas.

30–45 min PROCEDURE

Day Care HOSPITAL STAY

>60% SUCCESS RATE

2–3 Days RETURN TO WORK

What is Fistula Plug / Fibrin Glue?

Fistula Plug or Fibrin Glue is a sphincter-sparing minimally invasive option for select anal fistulas. After the tract is gently cleaned and curetted, a specialised bioabsorbable plug (made from collagen or porcine intestinal submucosa) or fibrin glue is placed within the tract, sealing it and encouraging the body's natural healing response to fill the tract. There are no cuts on the sphincter, no major wounds, and recovery is comfortable. As a female proctologist in Hyderabad, Dr. Tejasree Vengala offers fistula plug and fibrin glue at Lux Hospitals, Hyderabad, in selected cases.

Suitable for select transsphincteric fistulas with a single, well-defined tract, in patients who strongly prioritise sphincter preservation and minimal invasiveness, especially as a first-step option.

How the Procedure Works

Anaesthesia & Positioning

Surgery is performed under spinal or short general anaesthesia. The patient is positioned in lithotomy or prone position.

Tract Preparation

The fistula tract is gently irrigated and curetted to remove granulation tissue and ensure a clean cavity.

Plug or Glue Placement

A bioabsorbable fistula plug is gently passed through the tract and secured at the internal opening, or fibrin glue is injected to fill the entire tract.

Internal Opening Closure

The internal opening is sutured around the plug or sealed by glue to prevent contamination.

Discharge & Recovery

Patients are discharged the same day with detailed wound care advice and follow-up plan.

Outcomes

30–45 minDURATION

Day CareHOSPITAL STAY

>60%SUCCESS RATE

2–3 WeeksFULL RECOVERY

Who Needs This Treatment?

→Complete sphincter preservation — full continence maintained
→Minimally invasive with no major cuts
→Day-care procedure with quick discharge
→Useful as a first-step option in select fistulas
→Other surgical options remain fully open if not successful
→Discreet, sensitive care by a female proctologist

Fistula plug or fibrin glue is a gentle, non-burning bridge — useful in carefully selected patients as a first attempt that does not burn any other options. If it works, the patient is cured with no sphincter risk; if it does not, every other technique is still on the table.

— — Dr. Tejasree Vengala, Consultant Proctologist & Laparoscopic Surgeon, Lux Hospitals, Hyderabad

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How successful is fistula plug or glue?+

Why choose this over LIFT or FiLaC?+

Is the plug absorbed by the body?+

What if the fistula does not heal?+

Not sure which treatment is right for you?

Book a consultation with Dr. Tejasree Vengala and get a personalised treatment plan.

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