Rectovaginal fistulas of non-tumoral origin

Through a retrospective study of 4 patients, our objective was to evaluate the results of our experience in the treatment of recto-vaginal fistulas by reviewing the diagnostic modalities, the etiologies and the surgical techniques of these fistulas. In our series, 3 fistulas were low, one was high, 3 were simple and one was complex. One fistula related to crohn's disease was treated medically after placement of a seton, a second secondary to fecal impaction was treated by suture excision and protective colostomy, a third post-obstetrical fistula was treated according to Musset's technique, and a last one secondary to rectal surgery was treated by rectal resection with removal of the fistula and colostomy. Two patients were lost to follow-up and the other two did not present a recurrence. At the end of this study, we insist that the therapeutic indications depend on the characteristics of the RVF (size, location and number), the causal pathology and the state of the rectum.