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. Jul 27, 2026; 18(7): 120621
Published online Jul 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i7.120621
Published online Jul 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i7.120621
Modified anal fistula clip: A safe and effective alternative to incision and thread hanging for anal fistula
Ying Han, Xiao-Li Fang, Kun Tang, Ran Tang, Xian-Shui Mei, Run Zhang, Li Chen, Jian-Min Wang, Ming Li, Department of Anorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, China
Ming Li, Department of Anorectal, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Anhui Hospital, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Jian-Min Wang and Ming Li.
Author contributions: Han Y, Wang JM, and Li M designed the study; Han Y and Fang XL wrote the manuscript and prepared figures and tables; Tang K, Tang R, and Zhang R drafted the manuscript and critically revised it for important intellectual content; Mei XS and Chen L made substantial contributions to data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation; Wang JM and Li M contributed equally to this manuscript as co-corresponding authors. All authors reviewed the manuscript.
Supported by Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province, No. 2408085MH227; Chinese Medicine Advantageous Specialty Project of Anhui Province; Clinical Medical Research Transformation Project of Anhui Province, No. 202427b10020014; and Clinical Research Foundation of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, No. 2020yfyzc42.
Institutional review board statement: This study was reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval No. 2018AH-25).
Clinical trial registration statement: This study was not registered in a clinical trial registry. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board, and all participants provided written informed consent.
Informed consent statement: All study participants or their legal guardians provided written informed consent before study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CONSORT 2010 statement: The authors have read the CONSORT 2010 Statement, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CONSORT 2010 Statement.
Data sharing statement: The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors without undue reservation.
Corresponding author: Ming Li, MD, Department of Anorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 116 Meishan Street, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, China. lmyys154@163.com
Received: March 6, 2026
Revised: April 1, 2026
Accepted: April 8, 2026
Published online: July 27, 2026
Processing time: 143 Days and 2.3 Hours
Revised: April 1, 2026
Accepted: April 8, 2026
Published online: July 27, 2026
Processing time: 143 Days and 2.3 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This exploratory study compared the anal fistula clip (AFC) with conventional incision and thread hanging in 70 patients with anal fistulas. Both techniques achieved high short-term cure rates, with AFC demonstrating early postoperative pain reduction, faster wound healing, and better sphincter function preservation. No recurrences were observed during the follow-up period, although these findings were preliminary. By directly closing the internal orifice through sustained centripetal compression, the AFC interrupts infection source while minimizing sphincter injury. Therefore, AFC may be a safe, minimally invasive, and function-preserving alternative for anal fistula management, warranting further investigation in larger and long-term studies.