Percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation in the treatment of refractory anal fissure

The Italian Unitary Society of Colon-proctology (SIUCP: Società Italiana Unitaria di Colonproctologia) guidelines for the management of anal fissure

INTRODUCTION

The aim of these evidence-based guidelines is to present a consensus position from members of the Italian Unitary Society of Colon-Proctology (SIUCP: Società Italiana Unitaria di Colon-Proctologia) on the diagnosis and management of anal fissure, with the purpose to guide every physician in the choice of the best treatment option, according with the available literature.

METHODS

A panel of experts was designed and charged by the Board of the SIUCP to develop key-questions on the main topics covering the management of anal fissure and to performe an accurate search on each topic in different databanks, in order to provide evidence-based answers to the questions and to summarize them in statements. All the clinical questions were discussed by the expert panel in different rounds through the Delphi approach and, for each statement, a consensus among the experts was reached. The questions were created according to the PICO criteria, and the statements developed adopting the GRADE methodology.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with acute anal fissure the medical therapy with dietary and behavioral norms is indicated. In the chronic phase of disease, the conservative treatment with topical 0.3% nifedipine plus 1.5% lidocaine or nitrates may represent the first-line therapy, eventually associated with ointments with film-forming, anti-inflammatory and healing properties such as Propionibacterium extract gel. In case of first-line treatment failure, the surgical strategy (internal sphincterotomy or fissurectomy with flap), may be guided by the clinical findings, eventually supported by endoanal ultrasound and anal manometry.

Effects of neuromodulation on treatment of recurrent anal fissure: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Anal fissure is a linear tear in the distal anoderm most frequently occurring in the posterior midline. Lateral internal sphincterotomy is considered the gold standard for the treatment of this condition. To this date, several pharmacological and neuromodulatory therapies have been tried out as alternative non-invasive treatments for anal fissures, however, the efficacy of some of these methods remains to be understood.

OBJECTIVE

the primary aim of this study was to review available literature on neuromodulatory treatments for recurrent anal fissure as a potentially effective cure for this condition.

DATA SOURCES

A search was conducted among five main online databases Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Scholar.

STUDY SELECTION

All published human studies in English literature addressing neuromodulation for the treatment of recurrent anal fissure were selected.

INTERVENTION

neuromodulation for the treatment of anal fissure. We chose to include all articles in which the authors stated that the procedure they performed was via neuromodulation technique, or that the described technique used in their study resembled the technique.

RESULT

Among a total of 3487 evaluated studies, seven represented the effects of neuro modulation on treatment of recurrent anal fissure, among which two were randomized controlled trials and the rest were prospective studies. A total of 186 patient were evaluated in these studies. The mean age of the participants was 46.97 ± 8.2. The average VAS score before intervention was 7.77 ± 2.13, which decreased to 0.31 ± 1.13 after intervention.

LIMITATIONS

limitations of this study include the lack of related articles, and data regarding this subject.

CONCLUSION

Posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) provides rapid pain relief and fissure healing especially in short-to mid-terms with little to no complications, however, using this treatment, symptoms of anal fissure do not improve as well as LIS, especially in the long-term.

The role of percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) in the treatment of chronic anal fissure: a systematic review

PURPOSE

This study was designed to summarize the current evidence regarding the role of percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) in the treatment of chronic anal fissure (CAF).

METHODS

The present systematic review of the literature was conducted on the basis of the PRISMA guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The primary endpoint of our study was the CAF recurrence rate. Quality assessment was based on the RoB 2 tool and the Case Series Quality Checklist.

RESULTS

Overall, 5 studies and 102 patients were included. A considerably heterogeneity in the neuromodulation technique and setting was identified. The pooled recurrence rate was estimated at the level of 19% (16/84). Post-interventional pain and Wexner scores were considerably reduced. The 2-month healing rate was 72% (18/25), whereas 73.6% of patients were symptom-free at 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

PTNS is an effective alternative for the non-operative management of CAF. Due to several limitations further larger and higher quality studies are required.

Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS): an alternative treatment option for chronic therapy resistant anal fissure

BACKGROUND

The aim of the present study was to evaluate percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) for treatment resistant chronic anal fissure.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with chronic anal fissure were treated with neuromodulation via the posterior tibial nerve between October 2013 and January 2014. Patients had PTNS for 30 min on 10 consecutive days. All patients had failed conventional medical treatment. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, St. Marks score, Wexner's constipation score, Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-SF), bleeding and mucosal healing were evaluated before treatment, at termination, after 3 months, and then yearly for 3 years.

RESULTS

Ten patients (4 males and 6 females; mean age 49.8 years) were identified but only 9 were evaluated as one patient's fissure healed before PTNS was started. At 3-year follow-up, fissures had remained completely healed in 5 out of 9 patients. All patients stopped bleeding and were almost completely pain-free at 3 years (VAS p = 0.010) and pain relief improved from 50% at completion to 90% at 3 years. The patients' Wexner constipation scores improved significantly (p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

In this small series, PTNS enhanced healing of chronic anal fissure and reduced pain and bleeding with an associated improvement in bowel function.