Ayurvedic Treatment of Fistulas

by Sheela Rani Chunkath

Long years ago, I used to see these small posters stuck on Electricity Board Junction boxes, on walls of government buildings and wonder at the combination of problems that the individual claimed he could treat. Piles, fistula, hemorrhoids and sex problems. I used to be quite intrigued but was also convinced that these were quacks at work. While some of them could have been unskilled laymen, most were traditional practitioners who did and are continuing to treat urogenital problems quite effectively. There is a presumption that only the poor and those who cannot afford allopathic doctors go to the traditional vaidyars. Many of them, one does have to enquire locally about the bonafides, treat fistula and piles very effectively.

I know of many people including dear friends of mine who have been suffering from fistula for many years and unable to find solutions through allopathy. The flap surgery has not been very successful with recurrence being quite high.

The beauty of the Kshara Sutra method is that it is a simple (if a bit painful) procedure but with little chance of recurrence of the problem. Kshara Sutra was explained by Susruta, considered to be the father of surgery in 500 BC. It is effective, it is cheap and the procedure does not usually require hospitalization. There are hardly any mandays lost as the post surgical period is not very painful and there is usually very little recurrence of the problem.

One would think that by now we would have people from all walks of life adopting this solution in India. I would have expected people from all over the world to come to India to get a permanent cure. Unfortunately, Kshara Sutra treatment is still considered a fringe treatment and not very scientific at that. There have been many papers written on the subject which many of our opinion makers do not read and then dismiss the Kshara Sutra treatment as being unscientific and not a proven line of treatment.

Of course, it would help if some of the issues relating to the performance of the surgery can be resolved. Other than applying local anaesthetic gel, ayurvedic practitioners are forbidden in most states from even giving local anaesthesia. A young friend of mine underwent the Kshara Sutra treatment with local anaesthetic gel. While she did howl with pain during the treatment, she said it was not unbearable. But many do not have the resilience and it remains an unacceptable option for some. However, another young friend of mine underwent the allopathic surgery under general anaesthesia and while of course he did not have pain during the surgery, post surgery he did have a lot of pain. He also had to take time off work while recovering from the surgery.

We know that we have a very effective treatment for fistulas. The beauty of the treatment is that the thread used in the treatment is made by applying layers of herbal alkalis. Snuhi latex or Arka latex are commonly used to prepare the thread or Kshara Sutra. This alkali heals the wound from within, the key issue in fistula treatment.

While allopaths must practise allopathy and ayurvedists must practise ayurveda, we need to reexamine the role of local anaesthesia alone in treating fistulas. Ayurvedic practitioners can be trained in giving local anaesthesia so that so that Kshara Sutra treatment becomes more comfortable for the patients. This will help popularize a more than 2500 year old procedure which can hold its own against the modern allopathic treatment for the same condition.

I find that the billboard sticking individuals do have a good competency in handling piles as ayurveda, unani and siddha have many styptic herbs, minerals and othe materials. From Terminalia chebula to Natha Parpam (made from snail shells), they have a slew of effective remedies with very little recurrence of the treated condition.

So, when I see the small posters stuck on Electricity Board junction boxes, I wish I could make these skilful practitioners more legitimate and give them their due.

--- The writer is retired Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail. com. Earlier articles can be accessed at http://arogyamantra.blogspot.com/