The aims are to find the track of a low fistula, cut down onto it and allow it to heal. Imagine a tunnel being changed into a trench, by taking the roof off. The wound heals from the floor of the trench to form a flat scar, which may take several weeks. .If you do nothing, the fistula may heal up by itself. More often, the discharge continues. Perianal abscesses may form in the same place over time.With some very complex high fistulas, just treating the abscesses that appear from time to time may be the best treatment.An older treatment was to pass a thread from the skin opening, through the fistula, out through the anus, and to tie the thread in a loop.