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CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2021; 48(01): 127-130
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2020.01718
Extremity/Lymphedema
Case Report

Stromal vascular fraction injection to treat intractable radiation-induced rectovaginal fistula

Mijung Kim 
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
,
Dae Hyun Lew 
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
,
Tai Suk Roh 
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
,
Seung Yong Song 
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Rectovaginal fistula, which can arise after an injury to the vaginal canal or rectum, is a troublesome obstacle for patients’ everyday life. In most cases, it can be covered with a local flap, but previous radiation therapy increases the recurrence rate, making it especially difficult to cure. As the application of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) obtained from enzymatically digested autologous adipose tissue has become increasingly common, several reports have advocated its effectiveness for the treatment of refractory wounds. In light of the angiogenic, regenerative characteristics of SVF, it was incorporated as a treatment option in two cases of rectovaginal fistula discussed here. As described in this report, irradiated rectovaginal fistulas in rectal cancer patients were successfully treated with SVF injection, and we suggest SVF as a feasible treatment option for cases of rectovaginal fistula that would otherwise be very difficult to cure.

Keywords

Rectovaginal fistula - Fat graft - Mesenchymal stem cell - Radiation effect


Publication History

Received: 25 August 2020

Accepted: 29 September 2020

Article published online:
20 March 2022

© 2021. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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