Woman with rare colovaginal fistula treated through novel approach at private hospital in Chennai

Aravindan Selvaraj, co-founder and executive director, Kauvery Group of Hospitals, with the team of doctors who treated the patient on Thursday.

| Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ

Combining expertise from the fields of gastroenterology and interventional cardiology, doctors at Kauvery Hospital, Vadapalani, treated a 73-year-old woman with a rare and persistent colovaginal fistula — an abnormal connection between the colon and vagina — by deploying a device generally used to close holes in the heart.Addressing a press conference on Thursday (June 4, 2026), T.K. Anand, senior consultant, medical gastroenterologist and interventional endoscopist said the patient was first diagnosed in 2018. Despite multiple surgeries and treatment procedures, her condition persisted, causing not just passage of faecal matter through the vagina, but also recurrent urinary tract infections, vaginal discomfort, and irritation. One major challenge, Dr. Anand said, was identifying the fistula’s exact location. Once this was done, the question of how to close this passage came up, as sutures would not stay in place due to fibrosis.It was then that using a cardiac occlusion device was considered. P. Manokar, senior interventional cardiologist and clinical lead, heart failure and transplant programme, at the hospital, said that while this device was used regularly to close holes in the heart, the team had no experience in using it in this scenario, and careful planning and coordination was required. It was decided that endoscopic assistance would be used to deploy the device. The procedure was carried out successfully, taking care to seal the fistula without obstructing normal flow.Nearly two weeks later, the patient is reported to be doing well, the doctors said. They said this was one of the few cases treated in this manner globally.Aravindan Selvaraj, co-founder and executive director, Kauvery Group of Hospitals, said this innovation procedure was a result of multidisciplinary collaboration between specialists and teams at the hospital, and highlighted a patient-centred approach. Published - June 04, 2026 06:47 pm IST