Times of India
01 June 2011
New Delhi, India

Treating piles will no longer require a painful surgery. Doctors in Delhi and Italy have jointly created a new state–of–theart procedure that will allow piles patients to be treated, and go back home within only two hours.

This endoscopic procedure VAAFT (Video Assisted and Fistula Treatment) – a painless technique for complex anal fistulas created by Dr Pradeep Chowbey of Max Hospital – will leave behind no surgical wounds on the buttocks of piles patients. Nor, will it damage anal sphincters. The treatment involves neither operative examination and medication following the procedure, nor any dressing.

"Now, treating piles is a day–care procedure. It won’t require any prolonged medication and guarantees early recovery. VAAFT goes into the fistula through the skin, projects images from inside the body on the monitor screens before doctors destroy the sides of the tube by burning it with the help of an electric current. A gel is then applied to block the fistula two hours later," Dr Chowbey said.

He explained, "Earlier, the entire anal tissue used to be removed, which was a painful exercise and the wound would take its own time to heal. Also, with the help of endoscopy, we enter the fistula through the skin and cure it."

Experts believe 5% of adult population suffers from piles and fistulas. Months of healing and dressing is required at the surgical portion. "This new equipment goes inside, burns the disease completely and comes out (the VAAFT gives a very clear picture of the area to be treated) as compared to the manual surgical process, where recurrence of disease takes place.

"With manual surgical process, the recurrence rate of piles/fistulas is about 20%–40%. Max Institute of Minimal Access, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Saket, is doing about five–seven cases every week, using VAAFT," he added.