Fistulotomy

[livingwith]

This is my 3 rd day after the fistulotomy and I feel so depressed. I feel like my life will be ruined forever. I keep getting uncontrolled gas and sudden urge to go the bathroom everytime after I ear or drink something. I am only a 36 y.o. female and work as a pharmacist. How can I go to work or even go out to eat anymore?
I am so concerned that will be the permanent thing that affects my life. After I run to the bathroom, I will be a lot of pain in my stomach to pass out the stool. Is th...Read the full article

[buchananrusty]

It will get better, I promise!!!
If it hurts your stomach going to the bathroom, you should talk to your doctor about some kind of stool softener. I had the same problem and the softeners really did the trick. Be sure to drink alot of water with them.
I was depressed as well. I just stayed home and let it pass. I had a second fistulotomy on August 25th ( the first one did not heal correctly) Its been nothing but fistula and fistulotomy since March.
I am 38 and teach 1st grade. Believe me the gas thing does get better.
also, be sure to soak at least 3x aday. I didn't and think that is why mine did not heal and ended up infected.
I hope I was some help....
Good luck!!!!
I'll check back in a week or so!!!

[rguillen08]

Hi, how long was your recovery? Did it take days or weeks? Im going on thursday of this week to my doctor to get seen and get a brieg intro to the surgery. Im very worried about the symptoms postop. Reading these articles got me worried and little scared. I work at a pharmacy and Im standing and walking all day, I wounder if I have to be off for a long time or be able to work during healing. How did you manage? Any helpful tips or procedures you had to do will be very very appreciated if you shared with me. Is it painfull? Did you have the procedure where they cut or used the new thing which is a plug? I hope I can here from you before my appointment on thursday. Thanks, talk to you later.

[buchananrusty]

I was in a lot of pain for at least a week. I did my best to stay off my feet. It was about two weeks before I felt like I was getting back to normal. You have to stay off your feet. My reaccurance came 11 weeks after the first fistulotomy. The second surgery was July 25th. I still have to take the stool soften. I still take a bath 3x a day, and clean after ago with baby wipes. I still have that yellowish stuff coming out and staining my under wear. However, it seems to get better each week.
My Doctrr said that it takes awhile to heal because of where it is. My surgery was the cutting one, not the plug. The second one was a repeat (I assume) with a stitch. It hurt.....
I hope you are able to ask your doctor all the questions that you have asked me.
If you go online and google fistula you will find alot of info on it.
What type of surgery did you get? My legs really hurt after the second surgery. What syptoms are you experiencing? Were you able to take a week off to recover?
Please take it easy.... your looking at at least 10 weeks to recover.
I will check in with you!!!!
Good luck, let me know how it goes with the DR. Make alist of all the questions you need answered and ask that dr.
I am glad we have this forum!!!!

[rguillen08]

Well I went to see my doctor last week. He saw me and he put me on flagyl and Keflex, two antibiotic meds. He said he wants to try to see if it gets better with medication. I also notice that yellowish discharge and its very uncomfortable because it itches so bad. I'm using 2x2 gauze in the area which helps soak up that stuff. It seems to be better as far as the fistula but the itching is very bad. My wife who is a nurse says, sometimes the itching is a sign of healing. I tell her its a very itching healing. Hahaha. Doctor gave me 2 weeks worth of medication so I hope it helps out some what. Talk to you later.

[angelact]

I started with an abcess in october, had yellowish drainage then it would turn to very light blood, like maybe a streak of blood and that's it. I've been seeing her on a week to week bases and she said the abcess turned into a anal fistula. She waited on surgery to see if it would heal on it's own. Last Sunday I woke with a bump, it was kinda sore but soaked in the bath and it drained and went away but saw her the following morning. She said it is a re-accuiring fistuala and now I am shceduled for surgery this Tuesday for a plug. I haven't had any pain or discomfort since this whole thing started, minus last sunday. I have to take 2-3 baths a day and constantly clean with witch hazel. Now, dec.28, 2 days before surgery I have now drainage and no bump. Do I let it go or have surgery or get a second opinion? After reading comments from people who have had the surgery I am very hesitant to go through with it.

[buchananrusty]

Get the surgery... The only way a fistula will heal is with surgery. I had to do the surgery twice. It was a " pain in the Butt". I am glad it is over. I wish you luck. KEEP IT CLEAN!!!!!
My surgery (the second one) w s in Late July/ early August. I just now fell completely healed. I still soak at least once a day,

[kreshnik]

At first I had a perianal abcess, had a surgery (drainage), after few months it became fistula and had a surgery again. It seemed like it was healed and no problems until now. It has been a year since I had the surgery.

Now it looks like an abcess came out again! It does not hurt or something, but I am worried.

What do I do?