VAAFT for fistula treatment

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Jessie_76

Jessie_76

Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
55
Location
Bradford Ohio
Well I have been mildly flaring and steadily losing weight since Nov. 2011. Been on humira forever now, and well the fistula's reared their ugliness, back in February and then boom last month started a full blown flare. Tried some alternative medicines, seemed to create a bigger problem. Why is it that immune boosting is so detrimental for my body? Well anyhow progressing flare....and life is on hold lol limbo...getting friendly with my toilet again, and learning that a flare at 35 is waaay more difficult than 29.

Novemember 172lbs, today 122lbs
Fistulas grrrr 1500mg of flagyll (no bicycling) :angry-banghead:
Crohns Humira injections now every week. :ybatty:
Prednisone 40mg taper 5mgs til gone:facepalm:
Two visits to surgeon...waste of time suggests a BAG:mad2:
VAAFT they hadn't heard of it...student surgeon looked up on Iphone.....two Dr.'s impressed and looking into.
Teaching old dog new tricks...teaching new dog.... patients are smarter or as smart as some Dr.'s

People with Crohns and other IBD's take the time to look for new treatments and procedures, take the time to not be afraid to talk to your Dr's and surgeons, and anyone else in the medical community about what works for you, may work for you and others. Be willing if able to to research clinical trials, bring them up with your doctors if you can participate, No matter how hokey something sounds Dr's eating their words later on is PRICELESS. I have had this happen with my own gastro:).

Sick as hell right now but plugging along...I wish I had a plug to put somewhere HAR HAR!!!!!

FIGHT EDUCATE AND KEEP UP WITH THE PAPER WORK!!!!!!!(pun intended)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22002535

http://www.karlstorz.com/cps/rde/xch...s.xsl/8684.htm

http://up-surge.com/blog/2012/01/31/...ment-by-vaaft/

http://news.amrita.edu/news/2012/02/...med-at-amrita/

This is the best link detailing studies.....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3226694/
 
I have shared it three times. Seeing those two surgeons get that excited especially when I told them the effectiveness was around 80% percent they were seriously like puppies on the kibble:)....and I said that is even in the Crohns patient group...they were even more excited they couldn't take their heads apart out in the hallway as I was leaving. They made sure to tell me they would be getting back in touch. It's funny how an 8 year education, and a career's worth of learning can be impressed upon by a lay person so to speak. I really hope more people check this out to get it passed on to their Dr's. If we all print off the research and hand it over believe it or not it's worth it. It may not be available just yet stateside, but when it is the word can spread through the patients and multiple people, think of how we are connected through this forum, and then to the everyday people in our lives, who know other people with IBD's IBS, it's so SOOPER FANTASTICO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:ysmile: :ysmile: :ysmile:
 
Have you made any headway on VAAFT, Jessie?

My son (8yrs old) had an abscess/fistula back in December. He's been on Remicade since March 1st, and all was going well, but he's got another abscess right now. They think it may well be accompanied with a fistula, and he's on cirpo since yesterday. They want to see him tomorrow (too early to do the drainage yesterday) to see if they'll need to operate. I'm in Central Texas, and I'm going to research VAAFT before I do a dadgum thing.

Just wondering where you're at...
 
Why is that, Mark?

I just posted in the "Parents with Kids" forum that my son has Crohn's, has a developing fistula, they think, so I was hoping this may be something they'd do. Turns out we've been referred to a colorectal surgeon who's going to recommend a seton (draingage seton, I think). We're really concerned with how this would affect him since he's so young (8) and what kind of drainage we'd be looking at. I see you have a seton in place, so perhaps you can field this one...
 
Hi Steve,

Nice to meet you. Sorry to hear that your son has to deal with this at such a young age. My conclusion regarding suitability is based on a couple of facts. The last, but most detailed study on Jessie_76's list specifically excluded Crohn's patients. The usual reason for this is that this would have made the outcome look less attractive. I have discussed various surgical options for the treatment of the fistula with some highly respected Colorectal Surgeons. With the type and an location of fistula that I have, they say that internal advancement flaps, Fibrin glue and fistula plugs are all likely to fail due to poor healing and on going infection. The flap falls off and the plugs fall out! They are all highly successful in non-Crohn's patients. The internal opening of the fistula is too high to be laid open as this would lead to incontinence.

I'll post more about the Seton later as I have to go out now.

Mark
 
I'm back.

The following fact sheet from Crohn's & Colitis UK is very good for the basics of fistulas.

http://www.nacc.org.uk/downloads/factsheets/fistula.pdf

The first thing that the Surgeon will probably want to do is confirm that if an abscess or fistula is present. An MRI scan is usually carried out as this help them determine if an Examination Under Anaesthesia (EUA) is required. The combination of the two procedures is pretty much the "gold standard" for determining exactly what treatment is necessary. Assuming things are pretty straight forward, laying open of all/part of the fistula tract and/or placement of a seton will be done during the EUA.

After surgery your son is likely to be pretty sore and may have a small dressing. They will probably provide some pain killers, but they may not be required. Normal care would involve cleaning any wound and changing the dressing. Fortunately, packing of abscess cavities is not so common these days. Just as well, that is painful and unpleasant. Depending on how much cutting is done, things should settle down sometime within a few days and a few weeks. You will probably find that it's necessary for him to have a small gauze pad in his underwear to absorb any drainage from the seton. I usually change my pad twice a day, more often if needed. It's not possible to say how much drainage there will be, but hopefully it will settle over time.

Sometimes Setons are a short term aide to treatment. Things may settle on their own and after a few months it may be possible to remove the seton and let the healing process continue until everything is closed-up. Removal is a simple snip of the string and pull it out and is usually done in the Doctor's office. Sometimes drugs may be prescribed to try and help heal the fistula.

There are cases such as mine were the combination of drugs and surgery have not resulted in the fistula closing. It seem the best choice for me is to continue with the seton and drugs long term. This complication of the Crohn's has been with me for seven years now and is unlikely to change any time soon. In the case of a seton being in place long term, it is necessary to change it periodically. My current one has been in place for ~18 months now and I'm due to see the Surgeon again in a couple of months.

I lead a normal life, but I do have on going pain issues. The only thing that I choose not to do is to go swimming. This is for both my benefit and that of the other users of the pool. As the drugs that I'm on are immuno-suppressants, I take more care over hand washing etc.

I'm sure that things will work out for your son. If you want to ask any particular questions, then please get in touch.


Mark
 
Solution for Fistula

If you have a fistula and looking for a cost effective, simple cure do a search for a procedure done in India for the last 30 years with a 99.7% success rate and crohn's is not an issue. Flew my son and I to India in February and 4 weeks later his fistuala (which he had for five years with an abscess was completely healed. No drugs involved and no surgery. Procedure is called KSHAR SUTRA. Total cost including plane tickets and homestay in Varnasi India less than $5,000 or 1/4 cost of surgery in U.S. (less than 50% success). Procedure was done by Dr. Sahu--known all over India. Have his Power Point on procedure if anyone is interested. He does 22 of these a day. Considered my son's fistula a simple case. See power point to know why.
 
The VAAFT procedure is currently being studied by the FDA for safety of the equipment and the procedure.
I am currently drying out from HUMIRA injections and working towards a study that focuses on JAK's it is in phaseII and I am jumping on board through my physicians office. HOpefully I don't get the placebo!!!!! tapered down to 10mg of nasty prednisone, and getting ready to be drug free for the next 8 weeks. I am asking everyone to pray and keep your fingers crossed that I can maintain a somewhat healthy position. MUAH"S and keep hoping for the fix..not a mask of symptoms.
 
Hi Jessie, hi Steve and everybody here! I' m writing from Italy to report something about VAAFT from a very close point of view. In october 2009, when I was 35, I had my first and only ( for now..) perianal abscess, an incredibly wide one, spreading on both buttocks and causing weeks and months of pain. It was surgically incised and finally resulted in a complex transphincterial fistula. I'm a suspected Crohn patient, but still not diagnosed (colonscopy showed aspecific chronic inflammation in ileum). In 2010 I met Dr. Piercarlo Meinero (check his website, there's an English version), the inventor of VAAFT, who told me that he hadn't still used his technique on a Crohn patient. Mainly for this reason, and because, thanks to God, I don't suffer a lot from my fistula, I decided not to go under VAAFT.
I' m in touch with a man (no Crohn, no IBD), who has been VAAFT operated by Meinero twice (2010 and 2012), and I regularly read opinions on Italian patient forums: the technique is without doubt mini-invasive, the inventor is very skilful and understanding, but VAAFT seems for now non resolutive at first attempt, and patients tend to re-operate, choosing again VAAFT because of the almost total lack of pain after surgery. I think it will take another five years, before we can say if VAAFT is really the solution.
I hope those information can be helpful, good luck to everybody.
 
Does anyone know where VAAFT surgey is done in the US and especially any place in Florida. This surgery seems to have found great success in India with Dr Suman Gupta pioneering this method. There are some very interesting videos on youtube.

I may have to undergo surgery for fistula soon and that VAAFT seems to be the best option.
 
VAAFT in Crohn's Disease

i suffered complicated fistula was passing gas n stool through fistula because of crohn's disease my doctor had advised me bag in stomach so fistula can heal . he said its colostomy and u will pass stool in abdomen i was very much disappointed then i searched Google you tube and found one new technique VAAFT surgery for fistula in ano i liked this particular video VAAFT in crohn's disease by Dr Ashish Bhanot and i searched for this particular doctor on google and youtube and found lot of interesting work done by Dr Ashish Bhanot on anal fistula seeing his intrest and results i consulted him though travelling delhi was difficult for me with disease i discussed with doctor i found technique very scientfic and agreed as it has no harms i had nothing to loss so i gv a trial the disease which i used to think has become incurable i am really thankful to Google and youtube and most importantly my doctor for VAAFT...
 
Last edited:
Hi,
I just had VAAFT surgery two days ago.
The surgery was carried out by my consultant in Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent,England.
It was the first time it has been carried out by my consultant and the first time it has been carried out at the hospital. The equipment was lent from a hospital I. Germany, and I have been told that there were quite a few spectators while I was having my operation including a few guys from the company that make the machine.
I am a sufferer of Crohns/UC, my gastro consultant is still unsure.
I had a rather large perianal abscess that caused a large fistula, the surgeon could get his finger inside. The abscess was drained and a seton was put in the fistula, I have also been given a temporary loop Stoma to help the healing of the fistula.
My fistula had closed up around the seton, so my consultant wanted to try the VAAFT surgery and thought I would be a good candidate for it.
As I said, I have the surgery this Tuesday. I was kept in hospital for 2 nights due to the pain I was in after. I needed paracetamol, tramadol and oramorph to control the pain on Tuesday and Wednesday, so was not let out until I could come off the oramorph.
I am hoping that it heals quickly so I can have my Stoma reversed. I will keep you updated with my healing and next procedures.
This operation was my 12th op since April 2013!!!
 
Hi John,

Hope things work out well for you. I'm sure that everyone will be interested to hear how you get on.

Wishing you well.

Mark
 
my uncle was suffering from Crohn's disease. he was serious. He was passing stool and farts from his fistula. In spite of 5 surgeries with sepon/sharsutra but nothing worked. it was acting just as a drainage but wound was not recovering because of severe inflammation and friable tissues. Then someone recommended me to visit vaaft .com where i found videos related to Crohn's disease and other fistula problems. Then I visited the personal website of Dr. Ashsish Bhanot (drashishbhanot .com) where i got detailed information on VAAFT. I am thoroughly convinced with the technique but i have one doubt if the internal opening opens again can VAAFT surgery be performed again.
 
Last edited:
Hi all,

All seems to be going well with the healing.
I am still getting some discharge from the fistula, but my consultant does not seem too worried.
I have had an MRI to see how the fistula is closing up, he said he prefers this way instead of having an EUA again as I have had 14 GAs since April '14.
I have been put on Humira, but the main reason is to help close the fistula.
So, I have to wait for the results of the MRI.
Have a 'porridge test' to make sure all is working ok, before the reversal of the Stoma is thought about. But all is looking good!!!
 
Evening all,
Well, all is looking good. My fistula has finally stopped discharging after the Vaaft surgery!!!
Just waiting for my next appointment with my surgeon. Hopefully he will add me to his list to carry out a reversal!!
 
Hi John,

That's good news. Hope the recovery continues to plan and the stoma gets reverses.

Regards,

Mark
 
bentlr said:
If you have a fistula and looking for a cost effective, simple cure do a search for a procedure done in India for the last 30 years with a 99.7% success rate and crohn's is not an issue. Flew my son and I to India in February and 4 weeks later his fistuala (which he had for five years with an abscess was completely healed. No drugs involved and no surgery. Procedure is called KSHAR SUTRA. Total cost including plane tickets and homestay in Varnasi India less than $5,000 or 1/4 cost of surgery in U.S. (less than 50% success). Procedure was done by Dr. Sahu--known all over India. Have his Power Point on procedure if anyone is interested. He does 22 of these a day. Considered my son's fistula a simple case. See power point to know why.
Click to expand...

Bentlr
I would be so grateful to connect with you. I am considering going to India for treatment. Please let me know if / how we could connect by phone?
 

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