Rectovaginal fistula

The doctors are aware I have a rectovaginal fistula even though they cannot find it . The past two days I have been bleeding from the vagina. I went to my gyn two weeks ago because I was spotting (I'm 25 yrs past menopause). She said no reason to do a PAP. She saw where the spotting was coming from and suggested a vaginal cream for dryness. I still have my anus, no rectum or colon, and the anus became ulcerated in 2014, four years post my colectomy with end ileo. I have yearly biopsies, had one last September, no dysplasia or cancer. Colorectal surgeon prescribed proctofoam. I used the proctofoam last night and was wondering if that could have caused the bleeding. UGH...this is so darn annoying!!!!! Any thoughts??

It's up under the rectal cuff. Weird huh? I think I know when it occurred. The day I came home from the hospital, back in 2010, I felt the need to urinate. Instead, all this foul smelling gunk came out my vagina! Scared the BeJesus out of me. I immediately phoned my surgeon, but since it was a one shot deal, he told me unless I had other problems to just sit tight. He thought it came out my anus, since he left that in, but I know my anus from my vagina! Anyhoo, long story short, that is when I started spotting. Not every day, just on occasion. He didn't want me to have any probing inside my vagina so soon after my operation. After a month, I saw my gyn. They did a PAP and a transvaginal ultrasound. All came out fine. At my follow up visit to the colorectal surgeon in 2010, he suctioned out a hematoma or abscess...I forgot exactly what was going on up there, inside the anus. Hurt like the dickens! He placed me on antibiotics for two weeks. At the next visit everything was A-OK. I still had the occasional spotting! Gyn told me it is because of dryness and thinning of the cervix. Fast forward to 2014....my original colorectal surgeon had retired the year before, so I started seeing a new one. The UC returned to the itty bitty bit of anus that was left in. He did biopsies but said to remove it would be too much of an operation for me. He said he might have to go in through my stomach again..ugh. So, for the last three years, I have mucus and the occasional bleeding come out the vagina. I even had the test where they insert a dye into the vagina to see if it came out the anus and that didn't show anything. I believe you are right about not putting anything into the anus because, yes, the proctofoam does burn the vagina. UGH....I don't know what to do anymore.

Christine,

sorry you are still dealing with this issue...BUT at least they agree that their is one!!

Hopefully they'll have a better solution soon.

HI Christine,

Just out of the hospital with 2 setons in my butt. Surgery left recto-vag alone. I'm scared. I'm in a panic. Am thinking of getting ostomy. i'm scared and in a panic about that. I don't know what to do.

Any advice? I'm in my mid 40's. Haven't been able to work for years and this is the latest blow to my self esteem....I can't deal anymore.

UB....what is a seton? A drainage tube? Is your UC flaring? What did the doctors tell you about your condition? Of course you are upset, it is understandable. Did you ask what your options are? Are you just frightened of the surgery or of having a bag? Please don't be frightened of the bag. I believe, more or less, I had resigned myself to the possibility of having a bag. After a rough hospitalization in 2008, I went to a surgeon only to have him say to me, "You don't want surgery. Why would you want surgery? You'll be going more after surgery than now, like 8 to 10 times a day." He never discussed the option of having a bag. He thought I was just referring to J-pouch. It was two years later that I sought out my surgeon online. That was after I tried Remicade and Humira. Oh, I failed to mention that I also was taking 6MP for seven years and it didn't do a blasted thing! OH Yes....it increased my pancreatic and liver enzyme levels to alarming heights, so much so that the level was off the charts. So, when I finally did see the surgeon I chose for the operation, and he told me I was NOT a candidate for j-pouch, I told him I didn't care if I did have a bag, I was just so sick of being sick.

The bag, in my opinion, is no big deal. Yes, when you see it for the first time you'll think...OMG...I won't be able to handle this. I had terrific nurses and they helped me tremendously in adjusting to the bag. When I came home from the hospital, I had a visiting nurse three times a week who was not trained in dealing with ostomies....don't even ask why they sent her...lol....I had to tell her how to change the bag. Needless to say, she only came for that one week. You'll do fine, just take one day at a time. Get as much info as possible.