Symposium on surgical techniques in small animal practice. Cryosurgery in the treatment of perianal fistulae.

The advantages of cryosurgery over resection techniques in treating perianal fistulae include low recurrence rate, low incidence of incontinence, ease of performance, the relatively short amount of time required for the procedure, and minimal blood loss. If the disease is diagnosed and treated early in its course, complete resolution may be expected after one cryosurgical procedure. However several months and more than one surgical procedure are sometimes required in severe cases. The prognosis is good to excellent, depending on the stage and severity of the disease.