Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Nov 27, 2026; 18(11): 120547
Published online Nov 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.120547
Published online Nov 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.120547
Effects of modified ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract on intestinal barrier function in patients with transsphincteric anal fistula
Jia-Qi Li, Department of General Practice, The First Hospital Affiliated of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China
Zhen-Fan Huang, Department of Gastrointestinal and Anal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong University, Zhanjiang 524000, Guangdong Province, China
Xi Deng, Department of Radiology, The First Hospital Affiliated of Jinan University, Guang
Zi-Man Xie, The First Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guang
Wen-Bin Zhang, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Hospital Affiliated of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China
Yang Li, Department of Clinical Nutrition, The First Hospital Affiliated of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China
Co-first authors: Jia-Qi Li and Zhen-Fan Huang.
Co-corresponding authors: Wen-Bin Zhang and Yang Li.
Author contributions: Li JQ and Huang ZF contributed to the conception and design, the writing, review, and/or revision of the manuscript, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co-first authors of this manuscript; Li JQ, Huang ZF, Deng X, Xie ZM, Zhang WB, and Li Y contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data; Zhang WB, and Li Y contributed equally to this article, they are the co-corresponding authors of this manuscript; and all authors contributed to the acquisition of data (acquired and managed patients) and final approved the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: The authors declare that no AI tools were used in the development or writing of this manuscript and take full responsibility for its integrity, accuracy, and originality.
Institutional review board statement: Given the retrospective study design and data anonymization, the Ethics Committee of The First Hospital Affiliated of Jinan University waived the need for ethical review.
Informed consent statement: Patients were not required to give informed consent to the study because the analysis used anonymous clinical data that were obtained after each patient agreed to treatment by written consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Yang Li, MD, Department of Clinical Nutrition, The First Hospital Affiliated of Jinan University, No. 613 Huangpu Avenue West, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China. 155024000@qq.com
Received: May 19, 2026
Revised: July 9, 2026
Accepted: July 29, 2026
Published online: November 27, 2026
Processing time: 176 Days and 18.4 Hours
Revised: July 9, 2026
Accepted: July 29, 2026
Published online: November 27, 2026
Processing time: 176 Days and 18.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This retrospective study evaluated and safety of modified ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract in patients with transsphincteric anal fistula. Compared with conventional anal fistulectomy, modified ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract achieved superior efficacy and surgical outcomes. It improved anal sphincter function, alleviated pain, reduced the risk of complications and one-year recurrence rates, and significantly attenuated surgery-related inflammatory responses.