There have been threads on this in the past but nothing recent. Does anyone have experience of the Thai-pioneered LIFT technique? Anyone had this surgery at BNH or Samitivej? Thanks for your help.

For those who may not understand what you are talking about here is the detail :-

http://www.colorectalsocal.com/images/Fistula_in_Ano_doc_12.pdf

The original Thai series reported a 94 % success rate.

As far as I am aware this level of success has never been replicated.

The technique however is valid and has some advantages

If you are a candidate for such surgery a full and frank discussion with your surgeon is the way forward.

There are several different surgical options for fistula repair and the best choice depends upon the type and compexity of the fistula -- there is no "one size fits all" best approach. LIFT is generally reserved for unusually deep and/or complicated fistulas. It's a 2 stage technique.

Both the selection of the best technique for a specific patient and the likelihood of success depend greatly upon the experience and skill of the surgeon.

I would suggest consulting this doctor at Bumrungrad who was one of the first to use LIFT and has considerable experience with fistula:

http://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Arun-Rojanasakul

Thanks for the replies, and I'll try the Bumrungrad doctor.