Abstract:Objective To investigate the recovery of anal function and its influencing factors after ligation of anal fistula through sphincter fistula.Methods In this study, a case-control study was adopted. 172 patients with anal fistula admitted to Haikou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2019 to August 2022 were selected as the study objects. The anal function recovery of patients before and after surgery was statistically analyzed. According to the anal function recovery of patients 3 months after surgery, they were divided into 140 patients with good anal function (good group) and 32 patients with poor anal function (bad group). The operation process indicators, postoperative complications Based on the baseline data, the logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors affecting the anal function recovery after surgery.Results The patients in the good group healed earlier after surgery (P < 0.05), the pain duration of patients was shorter (P < 0.05), and the overall average total hospitalization time of patients was shorter than that of patients in the bad group (P < 0.05), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The Wexner scale scores of the good group and the bad group were compared one month, two months and three months after the operation, and the analysis of variance of the repeated measurement design was used. The results showed that the Wexner scale scores of the two groups at different time points were different (P < 0.05), the Wexner scale scores of the good group and the bad group were different (P < 0.05), and the Wexner scale scores of the good group were lower than those of the bad group. The anal function recovered well and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The change trend of Wexner scale score between the good group and the bad group was different (P < 0.05), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The course of disease (P < 0.05), fistula length (P < 0.05) and Parks classification of patients in the good group (P < 0.05). Postoperative incision infection rate (P < 0.05), secondary operation rate (debridement operation again) (P < 0.05), treatment compliance (whether the postoperative medication complies with the doctor's order) (P < 0.05), postoperative mechanical stimulation rate (various external causes stimulate anus after operation) (P < 0.05) compared with the adverse group, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The results of logistic regression model showed a longer course of disease [O^R = 1.842 (95% CI: 1.105, 3.073)], a longer fistula length [O^R = 1.788 (95% CI: 1.137, 2.812) ], postoperative incision infection [O^R = 1.694 (95% CI: 1.081, 2.653) ], postoperative reoperation [O^R = 1.347 (95% CI: 1.018, 1.783) ], poor treatment compliance [O^R = 1.493 (95% CI: 1.058, 2.108) ] were the risk factors of poor recovery of anal function in patients with anal fistula after ligation of sphincter fistula (P < 0.05).Conclusion Most of the anal function of anal fistula patients recovered well after ligation of fistula between sphincters, but the risk of poor anal function recovery may be increased due to long course of disease, long fistula length, postoperative incision infection, reoperation, and poor treatment compliance of anal fistula patients.