A seton or seton stitch is a procedure used to aid the healing of

fistula A fistula (plural: fistulas or fistulae ; from Latin ''fistula'', "tube, pipe") in anatomy is an abnormal connection between two hollow spaces (technically, two epithelialized surfaces), such as blood vessels, intestines, or other hollow or ...

e (abnormal connections between two

epithelium Epithelium or epithelial tissue is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue. It is a thin, continuous, protective layer of compactly packed cells with a little intercellul ...

-lined organs or vessels).

Techniques

The procedure involves running a

surgical Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...

-grade cord through the fistula tract so that the cord creates a loop that joins up outside the fistula. The cord provides a path that allows the fistula to drain continuously while it is healing, rather than allowing the exterior of the wound to close over. Keeping the fistula tract open can help prevent the trapping of

pus Pus is an exudate, typically white-yellow, yellow, or yellow-brown, formed at the site of inflammation during bacterial or fungal infection. An accumulation of pus in an enclosed tissue space is known as an abscess, whereas a visible collection ...

or other infectious material in the wound. The procedure was mentioned by

Hippocrates Hippocrates of Kos (; grc-gre, Ἱπποκράτης ὁ Κῷος, Hippokrátēs ho Kôios; ), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician of the classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of ...

. Setons can be tied tightly or loosely and with different materials, depending on the anatomical location of the fistulae and what may be medically required. A seton might be tied loosely as a palliative measure to avoid septic and painful exacerbations, or as temporary measure before surgical excision as in

fistulotomy A fistulotomy is the surgical opening of a fistulous tract. They can be performed by excision of the tract and surrounding tissue, simple division of the tract, or gradual division and assisted drainage of the tract in a ''seton''; a cord passed th ...

fistulectomy Fistulectomy is a surgical procedure where a fistulous tract is excised (cut out) completely. This is compared with fistulotomy, where the fistulous tract is merely laid open to heal. Fistulae are a feature of many diseases, but commonly fistule ...

. In some types of fistulae, a seton may be tied with more tension and tightened periodically. In this case, the seton loop will slowly cut through tissue inside the loop while scarring behind the loop, essentially "pulling out" the fistula without surgery. This is the

Kshar-Sutra Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population rep ...

method mentioned by Sushruta in ancient Indian surgical practice. The seton used to be tied with a knot. The knot is known for causing complaints. Recently knotless setons have been developed and a study in 2020 shows that such a super seton leads to a decrease in discharge and pain.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seton Stitch Surgical stitches