The patient in this report was a 38-year-old, female. She was admitted to our hospital with the complaint of fecal discharge from the vagina. We diagnosed her as having a rectovaginal fistula and operated on her performing a diverting colostomy in the sigmoid colon. We observed her for six months but the fistula continued to remain. Therefore, we considered that successful treatment would require excision of the fistula and the transposition of healthy tissue between the rectum and vagina.

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... lly we used a gracilis muscle flap. If the gracilis muscle is cut, there is no influence of functional disorder. Since the second operation, the rectovaginal fistula has not recurred over the long term. We believe that the gracilis muscle is useful and effective for rectovaginal fistula.