PurposeThis randomized clinical trial was conducted to compare a fistulectomy and a fistulotomy with marsupialization in the management of a simple anal fistula.MethodsForty patients with simple anal fistula were randomized into two groups. Fistulous tracts were managed by using a fistulectomy (group A) while a fistulotomy with marsupialization was performed in group B. The primary outcome measure was wound healing time while secondary outcome measures were operating time, postoperative wound size, postoperative pain, wound infection, anal incontinence, recurrence and patient satisfaction.ResultsPostoperative wounds in group B healed earlier in comparison to group A wounds (4.85 ± 1.39 weeks vs. 6.75 ± 1.83 weeks, P = 0.035). No significant differences existed between the operating times (28.00 ± 6.35 minutes vs. 28.20 ± 6.57 minutes, P = 0.925) and visual analogue scale scores for postoperative pain on the first postoperative day (4.05 ± 1.47 vs. 4.50 ± 1.32, P = 0.221) for the two groups. Postoperative wounds were larger in group A than in group B (2.07 ± 0.1.90 cm2 vs. 1.23 ± 0.87 cm2), however this difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.192). Wound discharge was observed for a significantly longer duration in group A than in group B (4.10 ± 1.91 weeks vs. 2.75 ± 1.71 weeks, P = 0.035). There were no differences in social and sexual activities after surgery between the patients of the two groups. No patient developed anal incontinence or recurrence during the follow-up period of twelve weeks.ConclusionIn comparison to a fistulectomy, a fistulotomy with marsupialization results in faster healing and a shorter duration of wound discharge without increasing the operating time.

Aim:To assess the effectiveness of teachers in a vision screening program for children in classes 5th to 12th attending school in two blocks of a district of north central India.Materials and Methods:Ophthalmic assistants trained school teachers to measure visual acuity and to identify obvious ocular abnormalities in children. Children with visual acuity worse than 20/30 in any eye and/or any obvious ocular abnormality were referred to an ophthalmic assistant. Ophthalmic assistants also repeated eye examinations on a random sample of children identified as normal (approximately 1%, n=543) by the teachers. Ophthalmic assistants prescribed spectacles to children needing refractive correction and referred children needing further examination to a pediatric ophthalmologist at the base hospital.Results:Five hundred and thirty teachers from 530 schools enrolled 77,778 children in the project and screened 68,833 (88.50%) of enrolled children. Teachers referred 3,822 children (4.91%) with eye defects for further examination by the ophthalmic assistant who confirmed eye defects in 1242 children (1.80% of all screened children). Myopia (n=410, 33.01%), Vitamin A deficiency (n=143, 11.51%) and strabismus (n=134, 10.79%) were the most common eye problems identified by the ophthalmic assistant. Ophthalmic assistants identified 57.97% referrals as false positives and 6.08% children as false negatives from the random sample of normal children. Spectacles were prescribed to 39.47% of children confirmed with eye defects.Conclusions:Primary vision screening by teachers has effectively reduced the workload of ophthalmic assistants. High false positive and false negative rates need to be studied further.

Diltiazem ointment (2%) and GTN ointment (0.2%) are both effective treatment modalities for chronic anal fissure, with diltiazem giving better patient outcome.