Looking for info on anal wound.

I had a chronic wound for 3+ years in my perianal area after they removed the colon, anus and rectum. I guess it was an old fistula tract that would not heal. I tried the vacuum twice. That was miserable and I told the doctors that I wouldn't go through that again. I have heard though that it works for the majority of wounds. The problem with the wound I had and sounds like you have is the location, it was always hard to find a good seal. I ended up spending 7 WEEKS in the hospital where they could constantly monitor the suction and the seal. At about week 5 they determined that it wasn't getting any smaller that it had gotten and I had the first of my three muscle flap surgeries. Between Jan of 01 and May of 04 I had approximatley 15-18 surgeries. Some just minor debreadments to clear out the granulation tissue that forms and a three muscle flaps. First they took a muscle from my right thigh and that didn't take, about 8 months later and a new plastic surgeon, they took the abdominal muscle and put it in the wound. Again it took initially then the wound opened back up. Last May and another new surgeon later they took the left thigh muscle and this one finally took. If the wound hadn't caused so much pain for me I would have lived with it and the constant drainage from it.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have anymore questions. Besides this stupid wound, my crohn's has been in remission since the removal of all that.

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Bridget Marshall

Hopeso,
Apparently my wound was not my old anal opening. Mine had been a fistula tract. They said they couldn't just sew it shut because then pockets of puss would form and get horribly infected. Believe me I asked.
Of the 36 surgeries to date, probably 19 were for the wound one way or another. Either a debreedment of the wound which is when they go in and scrape out the granulation tissue that forms. Like I said the three muscle flaps. One from the abdomen they went from the inside and put the muscle down into the wound from the inside. The two that came from each thigh they kept the muscle attached to maintain blood flow and put it in the wound that way. I really couldn't tell you exactly how they did that as, alas, I was asleep!!!:)
We may be talking about two different kinds of wounds. I ended up having 3 different plastic surgeons treating me. Initially it was my colo-rectal surgeon but when it didn't close naturally then she pawned me off to the plastics.