HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

The final outcome of the fistula

Support Forums
>
Crohn's Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/29/2011 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I was wondering what is the final outcome of the fistula.

I have mine since 2001 and it was put in remission with Imuran. I considered it gone. The hole didn’t healed completely, but it was just a very small skin tag witch was unnoticeable for years. But its back (I started getting abscesses again). I suppose that means that Imuran has done its job. I know that the next step would be some of biologies (Remicade or Humira) but I am wondering what happens when, after a while, they lost their effectivenss. Or if I turn out to be allergic or something. What would be the next step to put it in remission? I was reading about rectum removal due to a fistula and it is really scary. My rectum and lower part of the colon are not inflammated (my chrons is in my terminal ileum mostly). Is it possible to remove healthy rectum for fistula only?
My fistula is pretty high (I think its suprasphincteric or transsph.) but it’s small in diameter.
Posted 4/29/2011 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
I am on Humira prior to that I was on remicade. They dx my 1st internal fistula (went from bowel to bowel so I never knew of it nor did my docs until after an emergency trip to the ER and CT scan) thats when I found out the remi stopped working ( I was already ahveing allergy issues at that time too. Come to findo ut my bowel had perforated etc...after 3 surgeries (repair via resection, then had to have an emergecny ostomy then the reversal). After the reversal I was placed only on pentasa that wasnt enough to keep my CD away apparently I ended up with an enterocutaneous fistula and was soon put on Humira biweekly. The weeks I took the shot the output lessened and the hole shrunk a lil in size the weeks I didnt get it it would get larger again when it came near to getting it again. outcome was I needed a fistula repair surgery and CD came back again after that one but was palced on Humira at 1st biweekly again to see now that I had no fistula if I could stay away from weekly (they tried me weekly on humira pre surgery to see if I could get it to repair w/o Sx)

sadly Weekly is what I need to do even now with Pentasa and Entocort and I still flare but at least it is keeping fistulas away at least for now and have been on Humiora wekely starting in 07 then started up again post op in 08
Posted 4/30/2011 2:19 AM (GMT 0)
Hi hun
My issues are in the TI also. I had a perirectal abscess last year that ended up with one fistula and a cutting seton, followed by a second one and a fistulectomy. If its deep in the sphincter like my first one I dont recomend a cutting seton.. Its way Way Way painful. They do have cologen plugs that can be used to seal the fistula. My surgeon was able to remove the second one easily because it was superficial. That took about 6 weeks for it to heal completely but was a piece of cake compared to the seton.
Ask your surgeon about the cologen plug.. look at the info on line.
Fear not you dont have to loose body parts for rectal fistulas! Not much fun dealing with them or sitting down after surgery... but Im doing great now and havnt had any issues back there since the last surgery.
Oh BTW the skin tag that you have at the end is called a Sentinal Skin Tag.. look it us its really common with fistulas
Posted 4/30/2011 8:49 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for replies,

It seems there are solutions, but when I read all the posts regarding fistulas, it always look like they are an ongoing struggle. I find annoying that rectal fistulas (on first) look like some minor problem (comparing to primary CD problems) and actually they are so painful and take so much of our quality of life..All the people around are asking me why they just don’t cut them out...I wish it was that simple. As I see, it sometimes is. It all depends on the location of fistula I guess..

All best!
Posted 4/30/2011 10:44 PM (GMT 0)
I have 2 from my TI. One attaching to my abdominal wall and the other attaching to my bladder. I started Remicade and the one attaching to my abdominal wall turned into an abscess the size of a tennis ball right by my bell button. Started to burst one night and had a fun hospital stay to have it drained....the surgeon said that he thought the fistula might have closed up. I don't know what happend to the one on my bladder, but i can only hope that it closed too...

My internal ones have been a royal pain. Though I can't even imagine what a rectal one must feel like. I'm really sorry that you have to deal wiht them...
Posted 5/1/2011 9:37 AM (GMT 0)
Tooth,

I had internal fistulas (from my TI) back in 1999-2001. In that time, Remicade wasn’t used in my country , so I ended up with a TI recession. Its now registred so I hope it can prevent (or delay) a surgery, if I develop internal fistula again (hope not).

Take care
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply