Packing Versus no Packing in Perianal Abscess

NCT07280962 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: Dr. Hafsa Khan
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 44
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Perianal abscess is a common surgical emergency that causes significant pain and discomfort. The standard treatment involves incision and drainage (I\&D) of the abscess cavity, traditionally followed by packing to prevent re-accumulation of pus and to promote healing. However, packing is often painful, requires frequent dressing changes, and increases patient discomfort as well as healthcare costs. Recent studies suggest that leaving the cavity unpacked may result in similar healing outcomes while reducing postoperative pain and shortening the length of hospital stay. This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the outcomes of packing versus no packing of the perianal abscess cavity following I\&D. The study will evaluate postoperative pain using the Visual Analogue Scale at 6, 12, and 24 hours, duration of hospital stay, and the recurrence rate within one month. The findings of this research are expected to guide evidence-based clinical practice by improving patient comfort, reducing hospital burden, and optimizing postoperative care protocols.

Conditions

Perianal Abccess

Keywords

Perianal abccess

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Post-operative Pain

  Patients was assessed for the post-operative pain by using VAS. VAS is a tool used to assess the intensity of pain in patients. The scoring ranges from 0-10, where 0 is minimum or no pain and 10 is maximum pain.

  24 hours

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Recurrence

  1 month

Study Arms (2)

Packing group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This group will undergo packing of perianal abccess after the drainage.

Procedure: Packing of perianal abccess with surgical gauze

Non-packing group

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

This group received no packing after drainage of perianal abcess.

Procedure: Non-packing of perianal abccess

Interventions

Packing of perianal abccess with surgical gauze PROCEDURE

Patients will undergo packing of perianal abcess after incision and drainage

Packing group

Non-packing of perianal abccess PROCEDURE

The patients in non-packing group received no packing of wound after drainage of parianal abccess.

Non-packing group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Patients presenting in the emergency department diagnosed with acute perianal abscess (Diagnosed on the basis of history and clinical examination with ultrasonographic evidence of quantifiable collection and confirmed by needle aspiration of pus from swelling) based on history and examination, requiring incision and drainage.

You may not qualify if:

• Patients with prior perianal fistulas based on history and examination
• Patients with recurrent abscess (based on history)
• Horseshoe abscess as based on examination
• Previous pelvic irradiation (based on history)
• Immunocompromised patients
• Malignant abscess

Sponsors & Collaborators

• King Edward Medical University: lead

Study Sites (1)

King Edward Medical University

Lahore, Punjab Province, 54000, Pakistan

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Perera AP, Howell AM, Sodergren MH, Farne H, Darzi A, Purkayastha S, Paraskeva P. A pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating postoperative packing of the perianal abscess. Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2015 Feb;400(2):267-71. doi: 10.1007/s00423-014-1231-5. Epub 2014 Jul 23.

  PMID: 25053508 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• This study elaborates the outcomes of role of packing in perianal abcess.

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 23, 2025
• First Posted: December 15, 2025
• Study Start: May 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: October 30, 2025
• Study Completion: October 30, 2025
• Last Updated: December 15, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Locations

PA (1)