[Anorectal surgery in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus]

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of the patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), who were submitted to anorectal surgery with emphasis on healing time and complications.

The patients were evaluated prospectively from July 1998 to July 1999; there was a total of 23 patients HIV (+) (Group 1). They were compared to a control group of randomly chosen HIV (-) patients (Group II) to establish the characteristics of each group, the morbidity, and the time of healing. The statistical analysis was performed with the student T test.

In Group I, the diagnosis were fistula in the anus, anal fissure, anal abscess, condylomata acuminata, anal ulcer, and cutaneous flaps. Seven patients had a fistulotomy, a drainage of abscess in one, resection of different skin lesions in 12, electrofulguration of condylomata in two, fisturectomy in three and solely biopsy in three. The average healing time was 26.087 days for Group I and 23.21 days for Group II. A comparison between healing time and complications in these two groups was carried out to determine a whether significant difference exists in these parameters. There was no significant difference between these groups, but there were unequal rates of healing (26.087, DE +/- 10.778 days vs 23.21 DE +/- 6.259 days; p = not significant) and complications for the similar procedures.

The healing in time HIV (+) patients submitted to anorectal surgery may not vary important when compared with HIV (-) patients.