Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 21, 2026; 32(35): 121507
Published online Sep 21, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.121507
Published online Sep 21, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.121507
Table 1 Baseline characteristics and surgical outcomes of infants and toddlers with fistula-in-ano, n (%)/median interquartile range
| Characteristic | Overall (n = 675) | Infants (n = 540) | Toddlers (n = 135) | P value |
| Male | 675 (100) | 540 (100) | 135 (100) | |
| Mean age at the operation (month) | 11.00 (7.00, 12.00) | 9.00 (7.00, 12.00) | 24.00 (21.00, 36.00) | < 0.001 |
| Interval between the operation and the first anal fistula (month) | 5.00 (2.00, 8.00) | 4.00 (2.00, 7.00) | 8.00 (1.50, 12.00) | < 0.001 |
| History of incision and drainage | 60 (8.9) | 50 (9.3) | 10 (7.4%) | 0.499 |
| Weight (kg) | 11.80 (6.90) | 10.78 (4.51) | 15.89 (11.67) | < 0.001 |
| Height (cm) | 78.29 (11.61) | 74.97 (8.56) | 91.54 (12.75) | < 0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 88.34 (9.52) | 87.90 (9.17) | 90.08 (10.66) | 0.030 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 55.09 (7.49) | 54.71 (7.17) | 56.60 (8.52) | 0.442 |
| Respiratory rate on admission (once/minute) | 22.20 (3.07) | 22.26 (2.07) | 21.94 (5.47) | 0.508 |
| Heart rate on admission (once/minute) | 112.20 (9.53) | 113.40 (8.23) | 107.39 (12.47) | < 0.001 |
| Temperature on admission (°C) | 36.47 (0.68) | 36.50 (0.25) | 36.35 (1.43) | 0.243 |
| Duration of operation (minute) | 16.00 (10.00, 20.00) | 16.00 (10.00, 20.00) | 17.00 (11.00, 21.50) | 0.199 |
| Adverse events | ||||
| Fever/pyrexia | 129 (19.1) | 119 (22.0) | 10 (7.4) | < 0.001 |
| Sleepiness | 74 (13.7) | 53 (9.8) | 21 (15.6) | 0.056 |
| Oral antibiotics after operation | 587 (87.0) | 470 (87.0) | 117 (86.7) | 0.909 |
| Topical antibiotics after operation | 540 (80.0) | 432 (80.0) | 108 (80.0) | 1.000 |
| Hospital stay (day) | 3.00 (3.00, 4.00) | 3.00 (3.00, 4.00) | 3.00 (3.00, 4.00) | 0.691 |
| Time to complete wound healing (week) | 4.00 (3.00, 4.00) | 4.00 (3.00, 4.00) | 4.00 (3.00, 4.00) | 0.139 |
| Recurrence of anal fistula | 10 (1.5) | 5 (0.9) | 5 (3.7) | 0.046 |
| Follow-up (month) | 30.00 (16.00, 57.00) | 29.00 (15.00, 56.00) | 35.00 (17.00, 60.50) | 0.084 |
- Citation: Zhang XC, Ma HF, Zhou ZY, Zhang LN, Kong F, Wang YM, Song XB, Wang Y. Fistulotomy under general anesthesia in infants and toddlers: A retrospective cohort study on perioperative safety and long-term recurrence. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(35): 121507
- URL: https://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v32/i35/121507.htm
- DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3748/wjg.121507