{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,10]],"date-time":"2026-10-10T00:48:21Z","timestamp":1791593301670,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,17]],"date-time":"2022-02-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1645056000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,17]],"date-time":"2022-02-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1645056000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Qual Life Res"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Purpose<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Cryptoglandular anal fistula continues to be a subject of extensive surgical research due to the lack of effective and enduring treatments, some of which incur risks to continence and quality of life. However, the patient experience of disease has seldom been reported. The aims of this study are to understand the impact of living with a fistula and the treatment outcomes that are valued by patients.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Patients with cryptoglandular anal fistula were recruited using purposive sampling from two tertiary referral centres in the UK and the Netherlands. Patients underwent semi-structured interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Dutch transcripts were translated into English and underwent independent, thematic analysis using open coding by two study team members to identify common themes and sub-themes.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Twenty interviews were conducted before saturation was reached (11 male, median age 49, Interquartile range 39\u201355\u00a0years). Four broad themes emerged, covering the physical symptoms of fistula, the patient journey towards understanding the condition, life impact, and treatment. Several inter-related sub-themes were found, reflecting the extensive impact and adjustment that the disease entails.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>The impact of cryptoglandular anal fistula extends beyond the physical symptoms of pain and discharge, requires significant readjustment, and often negatively impacts psycho-social wellbeing. These aspects of disease should receive greater attention in future assessment of treatment and quality of life.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s11136-022-03098-y","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,17]],"date-time":"2022-02-17T03:02:33Z","timestamp":1645066953000},"page":"2505-2518","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Living with cryptoglandular anal fistula: a qualitative investigation of the patient's experience through semi-structured patient interviews"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3264-7362","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nusrat","family":"Iqbal","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Astrid J. H. M.","family":"Machielsen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stephanie O.","family":"Breukink","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rebecca","family":"Woodcock","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gillian","family":"Kane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laith","family":"Alrubaiy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ugo","family":"Grossi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Merel L.","family":"Kimman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Phil J.","family":"Tozer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,17]]},"reference":[{"issue":"12","key":"3098_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1459","DOI":"10.1007\/s00384-007-0334-7","volume":"22","author":"C Zanotti","year":"2007","unstructured":"Zanotti, C., Martinez-Puente, C., Pascual, I., Pascual, M., Herreros, D., & Garc\u00eda-Olmo, D. 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O., & Tozer, P. J. (2021). Heterogeneity in outcome selection, definition and measurement in studies assessing the treatment of cryptoglandular anal fistula: findings from a systematic review. Techniques in coloproctology (pp. 761\u2013830). Springer International Publishing."},{"issue":"5","key":"3098_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"334","DOI":"10.1308\/rcsann.2016.0136","volume":"98","author":"HA Owen","year":"2016","unstructured":"Owen, H. A., Buchanan, G. N., Schizas, A., Cohen, R., & Williams, A. B. (2016). Quality of life with anal fistula. Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 98(5), 334\u2013338.","journal-title":"Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England"},{"issue":"6","key":"3098_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"563","DOI":"10.1111\/codi.13538","volume":"19","author":"HA Owen","year":"2017","unstructured":"Owen, H. A., Buchanan, G. N., Schizas, A., Emmanuel, A., Cohen, R., & Williams, A. B. (2017). 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Approval in the UK was granted by West Midlands Research Ethics Committee (REC reference: 19\/WM\/0296). The ethical committee of Maastricht University Medical Centre and Maastricht University confirmed that the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO) does not apply to the above-mentioned study and that an official approval of this study by the committee is not required (METC 2018-0913).","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethical approval"}},{"value":"Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent to participate"}}]}}