Proctology – an overview of new reports

Abstract

Every year, reports are published in medical journals to present new developments in the treatment of proctological diseases or related problems. The authors of this paper have reviewed the literature in the field of proctology spanning the last few years. A few publications have been selected and presented together with the authors’ practice-oriented comments. Research papers published in highly indexed scientific journals are subject to rigorous evaluation and review criteria, which makes them very credible. Nevertheless, there are often conflicting reports on similar or even the same surgical or pharmaceutical therapies. Time and clinical practice verify the value of these studies. The authors discuss reports on the application of chemical seton in the treatment of anal fistulas, FiXcision method in fistulectomy, outline contraindications to performing the LIFT procedure, and present the latest developments in stem cell therapy for fistulas and Botox treatment of anal fissures, as well as the application of new tools in proctological surgery. It is concluded that incorporating novel solutions into one’s own professional practice must be done with a certain amount of reserve, as their value is ultimately verified by time and distant outcomes of treatment.