Rectovaginal fistula in Crohn's disease

Rectovaginal fistulas in the setting of Crohn's disease present a difficult management dilemma. Some patients with this problem require proctocolectomy, yet other patients with minimal symptoms never require an operation for treatment of the rectovaginal fistula. For a small percentage of patients, local surgical repair of the fistula may be warranted. Since 1980, this study has attempted local repair in seven patients with symptomatic rectovaginal fistulas from Crohn's disease. Five patients underwent staged repair of the fistula. Closure of the colostomy was eventually possible in three of these patients. Two of the three patients have had no evidence of recurrence at followup in excess of two years. The third patient required an ileostomy for intestinal disease and had no recurrence of the fistula. Two patients underwent primary repair of the rectovaginal fistula without fecal diversion; in one of these patients, the fistula recurred ten days after operation, necessitating a diverting ileostomy. The other patient remains cured 26 months after repair. The results of this review indicate that in the setting of quiescent rectal disease, an attempt to repair the fistula can be expected to have a reasonable chance of success. The presence of a rectovaginal fistula in a patient with Crohn's disease does not mandate removal of the rectum.