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Yang Dong
Colorectal Surgery Department
About me
Member of the Chinese Medical Association Coloproctology Physician Branch Combined Chinese and Western Medicine Professional Committee;
Executive Director of the Chinese Colorectal Disease Research Graduate Union;
Youth Committee Member of the Jiangsu Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Society Colorectal and Anorectal Disease Committee;
Member of the Lianyungang Youth Federation.
Proficient in diseases
Specializes in the treatment of common anorectal diseases such as hemorrhoids, anal fissure, anal fistula, perianal abscess, inflammatory bowel disease, and chronic constipation.
Voices
How long does it take for the rubber band of an anal fistula to fall off?
For high anal fistulas, we opt for the seton therapy, where we typically use rubber bands as the thread. For the rubber bands used in seton therapy, we believe it is best if they fall off around ten days. Therefore, for the anal fistula rubber bands, we think it is ideal if they fall off in about two weeks at the latest. If they have not fallen off after about two weeks, we may consider further interventions such as cutting the thread or directly cutting the sphincter muscle.
What are the symptoms of an anal fistula?
Anal fistula is one of the common diseases in proctology. The most typical symptom of anal fistula is recurrent anal induration, accompanied by swelling, pain, and pus discharge, often with a ruptured external opening. During the quiescent phase, a hard cord can be felt leading from the ruptured external opening to the inside of the anus; during the acute inflammatory phase or abscess phase, pressing may cause pus to ooze from the ruptured opening.
Differential Diagnosis between Intestinal Tuberculosis and Crohn's Disease
Intestinal tuberculosis often exhibits symptoms of extraintestinal tuberculosis, whereas Crohn's disease generally does not show signs of extraintestinal tuberculosis. Recurrence of intestinal tuberculosis is not common, whereas Crohn's disease has a longer duration and alternates between remission and relapse. Fistulas, abdominal abscesses, and perianal lesions are relatively rare in intestinal tuberculosis, but Crohn's disease may involve fistulas, abdominal masses, and perianal lesions. Tuberculin skin tests may be positive in patients with intestinal tuberculosis, while in Crohn's disease patients, the test may show a weakly positive result. After antituberculosis treatment, symptoms in patients with intestinal tuberculosis can significantly improve, whereas there is no significant improvement in symptoms in Crohn's disease patients following antituberculosis treatment. Furthermore, histopathological examination in patients with intestinal tuberculosis may reveal Mycobacterium tuberculosis and caseous necrosis. In contrast, Crohn's disease patients show negative results for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pathologic testing and do not exhibit caseous necrosis.
Consequences of recurrent anal fistulas
If an anal fistula is not treated in time, it may repeatedly occur. If an anal fistula repeatedly occurs, due to local inflammation, pus will spread and infiltrate into the perianal tissues, causing further aggravation of infection. This can then affect the function of the anus, potentially leading to symptoms such as fecal incontinence. Moreover, if an anal fistula repeatedly occurs over a long period, there is a possibility of malignant transformation.
Can hemorrhoids cream be used for bleeding hemorrhoids?
Bleeding, as one of the common symptoms of hemorrhoids, is relatively common in daily life. If hemorrhoidal bleeding occurs, hemorrhoid creams can be used. Many hemorrhoid creams have the effects of stopping bleeding, reducing swelling, and alleviating the erosion of hemorrhoidal mucosa. Using hemorrhoid cream can provide limited relief for mild hemorrhoids, especially in reducing bleeding symptoms. However, if the bleeding is substantial or frequent, the effectiveness of hemorrhoid creams will be relatively limited, and it is necessary to seek timely medical treatment at a hospital.