Dr. Mohammed Hatem AlsubaihFor education and visit preparation; individual assessment requires a clinical history and examination.
Start with the proposed plan
If LIFT has been suggested, ask your surgeon to show where the tract passes between and through the sphincters. The companion guide explains the operation; this page helps organise the decisions before and after it.
Prepare a one-page timeline
List abscess drainage, each fistula operation, seton placement or removal and periods without symptoms. Bring the operation notes and available MRI images as well as the report. Record any change in continence after earlier treatment.
Clarify what may change during surgery
Ask whether drainage or a staged approach might be needed, and what findings could alter the intended repair. Confirm who will explain what was actually performed and where that will be recorded.
Agree on practical instructions
Get the operating unit’s instructions for medicines, fasting, wound care, activity and contact after discharge. Do not stop prescribed medicines on the basis of this page. Ask when healing will be assessed and whom to contact for increasing pain, fever, swelling or new leakage.
Questions for your appointment
- Why is LIFT being proposed for this anatomy?
- Could the plan change to drainage or another stage?
- Who reviews me, and what should I bring to that visit?