Woman with rare colovaginal fistula treated through novel approach at private hospital in Chennai

Combining expertise from the fields of gastroenterology and interventional cardiology, doctors astatine Kauvery Hospital, Vadapalani, treated a 73-year-old pistillate with a uncommon and persistent colovaginal fistula — an abnormal transportation betwixt the colon and vagina — by deploying a instrumentality mostly utilized to adjacent holes successful the heart.

Addressing a property league connected Thursday (June 4, 2026), T.K. Anand, elder consultant, aesculapian gastroenterologist and interventional endoscopist said the diligent was archetypal diagnosed successful 2018. Despite aggregate surgeries and attraction procedures, her information persisted, causing not conscionable transition of faecal substance done the vagina, but besides recurrent urinary tract infections, vaginal discomfort, and irritation. One large challenge, Dr. Anand said, was identifying the fistula’s nonstop location. Once this was done, the question of however to adjacent this transition came up, arsenic sutures would not enactment successful spot owed to fibrosis.

It was past that utilizing a cardiac occlusion instrumentality was considered. P. Manokar, elder interventional cardiologist and objective lead, bosom nonaccomplishment and transplant programme, astatine the hospital, said that portion this instrumentality was utilized regularly to adjacent holes successful the heart, the squad had nary acquisition successful utilizing it successful this scenario, and cautious readying and coordination was required. It was decided that endoscopic assistance would beryllium utilized to deploy the device. The process was carried retired successfully, taking attraction to seal the fistula without obstructing mean flow.

Nearly 2 weeks later, the diligent is reported to beryllium doing well, the doctors said. They said this was 1 of the fewer cases treated successful this mode globally.

Aravindan Selvaraj, co-founder and enforcement director, Kauvery Group of Hospitals, said this innovation process was a effect of multidisciplinary collaboration betwixt specialists and teams astatine the hospital, and highlighted a patient-centred approach.