I have been hospitalized several times over this anal fistula my surgeon found and opened up in surgery Feb.7,2013.It is still draining and draining very heavily.If I don't stay lying down it pours down my legs.I have no energy at all and I am starting to get scared.They have tried a wound vac twice and it failed twice,it just leaked around it.I go back to see my surgeon this Wednesday and I want some answers.She keeps telling me it will heal in time,but in the meantime I am bedridden,in pain and tired of it all.
Fistula will not stop draining
- Thread starter debbie261
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Help Support Crohn's Disease Forum:
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So sorry, debbie. Wish there was some wonderful advice I could give but I have no experience with this kind of fistula. Are you on any medication like Remicade? They have been said to have some success in closing fistulas. Antibiotics? What have they tried surgically...? While I'm not 100% sure if this is true for anal fistulas (so PLEASE don't quote me, but maybe look into it yourself), fistulas have a nasty tendency to rarely heal spontaneously on their own. Best of luck to you. xx
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Debbie,
I am sorry that you are dealing with this and I wish that I had a magic cure all for you. Mine has been leaking since the seton placement in Sept 2011. I use panty liners in my underwear and either wound foam or cotton circles between my cheeks for absorption. For me the very heavy, run down the leg type drainage was only sporadic.
Are you having fevers or body aches?
I am sorry that you are dealing with this and I wish that I had a magic cure all for you. Mine has been leaking since the seton placement in Sept 2011. I use panty liners in my underwear and either wound foam or cotton circles between my cheeks for absorption. For me the very heavy, run down the leg type drainage was only sporadic.
Are you having fevers or body aches?
So sorry Debbie, you must feel miserable, but you are not alone, I have 3 perianal fistulae, constantly oozing gunk, as well as an open abdominal wound, oozing gunk too. I wish I had a magic wand to make it all go away for everyone afflicted.
I had good results with Infliximab till I went into anaphylactic shock, bugger.
Have any drugs been suggested?
I had good results with Infliximab till I went into anaphylactic shock, bugger.
Have any drugs been suggested?
My surgeon has not tried antibiotics because she says they are not effective in my situation.I developed anal cancer 2 years ago and went through chemo and radiation and they did a lot of damage to my insides.I had to have a colostomy,actually 3 of them because I had so much leakage.That is what this surgeon was doing when she found the fistula,a third colostomy,she had planed to do an ileostomy and completely remove my colon and anus but she left some colon in.I am not trying to sound gross but now it is draining out of my vagina also and I don't know how that is possible so I really hope she has some answers Wednesday.She has told me that if this won't heal on its own she will have to do a Flap surgery and that it is a major surgery.I don't want any more surgery.
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Debbie,
You are not being gross, just honest. I have a rectal/vaginal fistula and it creates the drainage through the vagina as you mention. Be really careful with the flap surgery. Maybe get a second opinion? If you have active inflammation in the area and have further surgery it can cause big problems. My surgeon will not operate in the area because he said it will not heal correctly due to inflammation and the operation has a risk of tearing the fistula open even larger.
You are not being gross, just honest. I have a rectal/vaginal fistula and it creates the drainage through the vagina as you mention. Be really careful with the flap surgery. Maybe get a second opinion? If you have active inflammation in the area and have further surgery it can cause big problems. My surgeon will not operate in the area because he said it will not heal correctly due to inflammation and the operation has a risk of tearing the fistula open even larger.
Artisan105
Yondaime
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Are you on a Colostomy Bag to catch the drainage or are you covering it up with some gauze waiting for it to heal?
People with Crohn's / IBS take a lot of time to heal compared to a normal healthy person. So it will take a while for it to heal, especially since we are on steroids-prednisone, it makes us heal SLOW!.
Also, when the fecal matter always pass by the fistula, touching it, infecting it, enlarging the hole sometimes, it makes the healing process SLOW also. And everytime the fistula is about to close, you might have constipation and the trapped gas escapes from the hole. This makes the healing process take forever. I am sorry you have to go through this. Maybe ask your doctor for a TPN diet. This is where they feed you through a tube. This way there is no food or feces traveling down touching your fistula area giving it time to heal.
Anyways hang in there.
OH Girls,
I am feeling really sorry for you all. I know how you are feeling. I had non responsive perianal disease. I had fistulas to anal area, vagina and labia. I felt like a leaky watering can. I have now had a panproctocolectomy, and the fistulas have been slowly closing off on their own. I am sending you all my strength and support. I also want to let you know that now i am living with a permanent colostomy life is way easier. It still has its own problems, but on the whole they are far more managable than my life b.c. (before colotomy).
I am feeling really sorry for you all. I know how you are feeling. I had non responsive perianal disease. I had fistulas to anal area, vagina and labia. I felt like a leaky watering can. I have now had a panproctocolectomy, and the fistulas have been slowly closing off on their own. I am sending you all my strength and support. I also want to let you know that now i am living with a permanent colostomy life is way easier. It still has its own problems, but on the whole they are far more managable than my life b.c. (before colotomy).
Artisan105
Yondaime
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Wow Jan... I thought I went through everything but you listed some I couldnt never go through (Because I am a guy). But oh geez... hugz
I am glad you are better now. I had a colostomy bag for a year in college and one year 3 years ago. I felt like a leaky bag discharging puss or poo -_- Not a good feeling. No matter how much shower you take... you always feel nasty.
