ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy and safety of ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract in the treatment of high simple anal fistula.MethodsA prospective collection of 72 patients diagnosed with high simple anal fistula, who admitted to the department of the author’s hospital between March 2015 and December 2017 was performed, and then the patients were divided into two groups according to the random number table method combined with the patients’ wishes: the ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract group (experimental group, 32 cases) and the low incision and high hanging group (control group, 40 cases). Comparison of indexes on the operative effect and physiological function of the sphincter in six months after operation was performed.ResultsCompared with the control group, the patients in the experimental group had short postoperative pain duration, short postoperative wound healing time, high cure rate, low recurrence rate, low initial sensory threshold, high anal resting pressure, and long anal high pressure band length, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the operation time, anal maximal contractive pressure, and rectal resting pressure (P>0.05). The results suggested that the physiological function of anus in the experimental group recovered well.ConclusionThe ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract is a safe and reliable method in the treatment of high simple anal fistula, which can be widely used in the clinic.