General and Laparoscopic Surgery in Lagos
Anal fistula surgery in Lagos, planned around your bowel control
A written all-in price after a ₦35,000 consultation in Lagos, so you know the total before anything is booked.
How the price is set
Consultation, then a written price
₦35,000
Consultant surgical opinion
- The surgeon's fee for the operation
- The anaesthetist and theatre time
- Standard consumables for the operation
- Routine medication while you are admitted
Your written price covers the lines above, agreed before you pay.
Anal Fistula Surgery at Mezo Health in Lagos, Nigeria is priced in a written quote after a ₦35,000 consultation, because the right operation and its cost depend on what the surgeon finds. The quote covers the surgeon's fee for the operation, the anaesthetist and theatre time, and standard consumables for the operation. Prices last checked 23 October 2026.
An anal fistula is a small tunnel between the inside of the back passage and the skin near the anus, usually left behind by an abscess. It does not heal with creams, herbs or antibiotics, and it is treated with an operation. Which operation depends on how much of the muscle that controls the bowel the tunnel crosses, which the surgeon finds out by examination and sometimes an MRI scan. A low, simple fistula is often cured by one short operation. A higher or more complex one may need a seton, a soft thread that drains it, and a second planned operation. The price is a written quote once the tunnel has been mapped.
Also called: Fistulotomy, Fistulectomy, Seton insertion, Fistula-in-ano repair, Fistula surgery
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
How the price is set
Written quote after consultation
Consultant surgical opinion: ₦35,000
Your price is a written quote after the examination, because it depends on how the tunnel runs, whether an MRI scan is needed, and whether the fistula can be treated in one operation or needs a seton and a second stage. Each stage is priced before it is booked, and nothing moves without your written agreement.
What your written quote covers
- The surgeon's fee for the operation
- The anaesthetist and theatre time
- Standard consumables for the operation
- Routine medication while you are admitted
- The post-operative review
Not in the quote
- The first consultation
- An MRI scan of the pelvis, where the surgeon needs one to map the tunnel
- Dressing changes after the first few days, which a nurse or a clinic near you can do
- Take-home medication
- Tests and treatment for an underlying cause, such as Crohn's disease or tuberculosis, if one is found
What decides your quote
- A fistula that crosses more of the muscle, needing a seton or a muscle-sparing operation
- A second, planned operation after a seton, priced separately before it is booked
- An abscess that needs draining first
- Piles treated at the same operation
- An overnight stay
If an HMO is paying, the case needs prior authorisation before admission. Bring your HMO number to the first consultation and the desk will start it. If the plan declines, you are told the cash price before anything is booked.
Who this is for
- An opening near the anus that keeps leaking pus, blood or fluid
- A painful swelling near the anus that bursts and keeps coming back
- Anyone who has had an anal abscess drained and still has discharge weeks later
When it is not the right answer
- A hot, painful swelling near the anus with fever, which is an abscess and needs draining first, the same day
- A fistula with diarrhoea, weight loss or blood mixed into the stool, until Crohn's disease and other causes have been looked for
- Piles or a fissure, which are different conditions with different treatments
The pathway, step by step
- 1
Examination by a surgeon₦35,000
The opening is examined, and the surgeon judges where the tunnel runs and how much of the muscle it crosses.
- 2
An MRI scan, where needed
For a fistula that looks complex or has come back after surgery, an MRI scan of the pelvis maps the tunnel before the operation. Priced and booked separately.
- 3
Written price
The operation planned for your fistula, what it covers and what it costs, agreed in writing. If two stages are likely, you are told before the first.
- 4
The operation
Under spinal or general anaesthetic. A low tunnel is laid open so it heals from the base (fistulotomy). A higher one has a seton placed to drain it and protect the muscle, often followed by a second, planned operation.
- 5
Home the same day or the next
With painkillers, a stool softener and instructions for the wound, which is left open to heal from the inside.
- 6
Wound reviews until healed₦25,000
The wound is checked until it has closed from the base, usually over several weeks.
Recovery, realistically
Days 1 to 3
Sore, especially on opening the bowels. Take the painkillers and stool softener as prescribed.
Week 1 to 2
Back at desk work within one to two weeks for most. Warm sitz baths and a pad for the discharge help.
Weeks 2 to 8
The wound heals from the base. Some discharge is normal while it does. Keep every review.
With a seton
The thread stays in for weeks or months while the tunnel settles, and the next step is planned at the reviews.
Risks you should be told about
- The fistula coming back, more likely with a complex fistula or an underlying cause such as Crohn's disease
- Some difficulty controlling wind or stool, which the choice of operation is designed to avoid
- Bleeding or infection in the wound
- A wound that takes longer than expected to heal
Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.
Questions people ask
Can a fistula heal without surgery?
Almost never. Antibiotics can calm the infection for a while, but the tunnel stays and the swelling comes back. Creams, herbs and enemas sold for piles do not close it.
Will the operation affect my bowel control?
Protecting the muscle that controls the bowel is the surgeon's first concern. For a low, simple fistula the risk is small. Where the tunnel crosses more of the muscle, a seton or a muscle-sparing operation is used instead, and the surgeon explains your own risk before you agree.
What is a seton?
A soft thread passed through the tunnel and tied loosely, so the fistula keeps draining instead of forming another abscess. It protects the muscle while the tunnel settles, and is usually followed by a second, planned operation.
Why is there no fixed price on this page?
Because a short operation for a low fistula and a staged operation for a complex one are very different. The surgeon maps the tunnel first, and you get a written price for the operation you actually need before anything is booked.
Sources and further reading
The guidelines and patient information this page is checked against. Care in Nigeria follows the same evidence; what differs is the price and where it is done.
- Anal fistula. NHS. Patient information.
- The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Anorectal Abscess, Fistula-in-Ano, and Rectovaginal Fistula. Gaertner WB et al., Diseases of the Colon and Rectum 65(8):964-985, 2022. Peer-reviewed.
- Operative Management of Anal Fistula in Lagos: Outcomes and Complications. Balogun OS et al., Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal 33(4):467-473, 2026. Peer-reviewed.
Links last checked 23 October 2026.
Prices shown are in naira and were last checked on 23 October 2026. A “from” price is the all-in starting price for the standard case. Every operation is confirmed in a written quote after your consultation, because the right operation for you, and its cost, depend on what the surgeon finds.