One hundred and twenty cases of fistula‐in‐ano were treated in 11 years by fistulectomy and primary closure. Injection of dye into the tract helped in identifying the tract and its ramifications which were excised. A lateral sphincterotomy was added in most cases for relief of postoperative pain and to promote good healing. Of the cases, 83.3% healed well in 2 weeks as compared with 4–5 weeks or more with conventional methods resulting in great economy in hospital stay and morbidity. Follow‐up of these cases for a variable period, up to five years, revealed only three recurrences, indicating a comparable long term effectiveness of this procedure as in the conventional