fistulotomy

Hello,

Sorry to hear about your troubles. It really is hard to offer full on advice as each fistula is unique and so is the surgery to fix them. The only way you may lose bowel control is if there is a portion of the muscle that is cut during surgery, Most surgons will try to work around this at all costs for that exact reason, but if the fistula tract goes through the muscle there is the increased risk.

My tract was high up and blind sided which formed the abscess I has a seton put in oct 2012 and I only took 5 full days off work and part time the following week. It was still tender after that but I managed. I didn't not changed my diet except for the first day out of the hospital and that was because I was too nauseas to eat. Depending on the tracts or your personal dealings with food, you may need to alter it. The first bowel movement after surgery is scary... but you body makes it happen... sitz baths for the first month is a real life safer in keeping things clean and healing. I would have one in the morning and one at night and after every bm if I was home. If not I brought wipes with me or a water bottle. It will drain for the first few months, many people including myself have found gauze has helped to trap leakage and if you fold a 4x4 gauze and tuck it, it will absorb the drainage and help prevent irritation. (this was after a couple weeks for myself as it will be tender for the first bit). I now work out, run , work, sit..with mine... I just don't swim and am grateful for the relief although I still hate cleaning up down there after a BM. Fibre mix does help to keep it moving..

Try to come up with a list of questions for the surgeon, including the risk,  and then just one thing at a time afterwards. I hope you find some relief with the surgery even though it can be quite nerve racking.

Thanks for the advice and what you have been thru. I have all but a few inches of my large bowl left. In 2005 I almost died due to the surgery I mentioned earlier. I had to go thru 6wks of therapy to learn how to walk,talk and stand, then finally go home for another 2 months. My job then was a bit slower and easier to deal with when I did go back to work. My job now is fast, and we bend up and down, on our hands and knees and we are always physically working hard and fast. We sweat almost continuously and no time for stopping. also, no one to really help you out. Its why I'm thinking I will not heal up as fast I like to. My job will actually harm me while trying to heal. Im also not sure, but if they take some hemorroids out, this also will be a factor in more pain and healing. Sitz baths Im aware of, and clean now after every bowl movement. I have a constant absess always a problem,hence the surgery. My doc said not sure how deep he will go, until he actuallly does the surgery. I was not dx with chrons, just that since that surgery I had in 2005, I go to the bathroom now, about 6x a day. I eat allot, and barely keep a weight of 100lbs! Im healthy other wise, a thyroid problem but that is controlled, so worried that not being able to eat much, so the liquid diet is about what it will take, until the healing is better. I dont know how much pain meds I will get, but I take stool softners daily. I will be starting the benefiber stuff again, when I need to have better movements. A human body is shocked so much after surgery the anesthesia really whacks the body all about! Im hoping my husband will be able to help change the dressings at first. I use gauze pads now for drainage to help me out. I just hope I do heal well, and well enough to get back to my very physical job duties. My job is not a caring environment, so I have to 100% or Im not allowed back to work. I realize everyone's treatment is different, but wanted to know how others dealt with their surgeries. Did you walk funny, sit rather oddly or laid around more to help be more comfortable? Im a bit concerned about the fistula is... Last yr, I had to have one treated with a special topical treatment for a month. If this didnt heal it, I was told I might have surgery that could lose bowl control, it was right at that sphlinter control, well that healed, but I have another doc and he didnt say anything about what the one said last year and now Im wondering if this is what the doc said last year meant... Im a bit scared and now I think a list of questions is very much on my mind and definately will be asking many of them, before Im even getting anything done!! I had to wear diapers and vinyl under pants in 2005, I hate to wear them again, but if it means healing thats ok, but permenance of wearing them is another thing... Im a caregiver, my husband is disabled, and I do almost everything, this is why Im so scared. (sorry about my spelling, terrible it is)