Colo-vesical fistula: Complete healing without surgical intervention

Colo-vesical (CV) fistulae are the most common type of fistulae associated with diverticular disease. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment, without which, CV fistulae rarely achieve complete healing.

Herein, we report the case of a 62-year-old man who developed a CV fistula after reversal of Hartmann's procedure (initially for management of diverticular abscess), which healed with conservative management alone.

We discuss possibilities of the aetiology of this fistula. The CV fistula may have been initially present, which came to light only after his reversal. Or an iatrogenic fistula that developed at the time of reversal of Hartmann's.

This is the first time that such a fistula has been demonstrated clinically and radiologically to have healed spontaneously without surgery. We recommend that conservative management of CV fistulae should be considered.