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Posted 5/29/2014 4:41 PM (GMT 0)
I was having severe pain down there thinking it was hemmroides but after being scoped for general scoping of colitis, they found huge absess near rectum that needed to be operated on immediately. Has anyone else suffered with an abscess?
Posted 5/29/2014 4:43 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I had a perianal abscess. My GI and CR surgeon both think it was completely unrelated to my UC, though, as it was in complete remission at the time. Perianal abscesses are relatively common in the general population, and I have a fairly strong family history of them.
Posted 5/29/2014 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
thanks fruitgirl, I did not think they were so common, did yours heal rather quickly, lots of antibiotics and packing changes here. Please let me know your recovery time. Thank you!
Posted 5/29/2014 4:58 PM (GMT 0)
Well, I don't want to scare you, but mine didn't heal correctly and I developed a fistula. The fistula had probably already formed prior to me having the abscess drained, though. However, it never again hurt like the abscess did -- I had issues with drainage and stuff, but nothing major, until I had fistula repair surgery.

I had the LIFT procedure done, and that did take care of the existing fistula tract -- the external opening of it was fairly far from my anus. However, because the internal opening of the fistula was so large (and that tissue is fairly had to repair), I now have a very, very short fistula that is where the surgeon made the incision during the LIFT procedure. However, it's just outside my anus and really causes no problems. I just have to wipe carefully (and generally use a baby wipe) after a BM, and that's it.

So basically, it's not a big deal at all.
Posted 5/29/2014 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
please tell me how you knew you developed a fistula and what is that exactally? So helpful to know someome who has also went through this.
Posted 5/29/2014 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
A fistula is a tract between two organs or an organ and the skin that doesn't belong, essentially. My fistula went from the rectum to the skin.

I knew because I kept having drainage from the incision the surgeon made to drain the abscess. The general surgeon who drained the abscess advised me to do sitz baths a few times a day to help it drain and keep it from closing over. If it had closed over, I'd have developed another abscess.
Posted 5/29/2014 5:51 PM (GMT 0)
thank you, I have been advised 3-4 sitz baths a day and today - 2nd day after surgery there seems to be no more drainage, so must be helping. So helpful you are :) Have a great day!
Posted 5/30/2014 3:55 PM (GMT 0)
I had an abscess too. They are definitely not fun! I became quite sick with mine and had to spend three days in the hospital. Despite that and being a flare, mine got better really quickly. Just keep up with those sitz baths and use the packing for as long as it will stay in and hopefully it will become a distant memory for you soon.

I did not get symptoms of the resultant fistula until maybe 3-4 weeks later. There was some discharge (green goo and blood) so I took a look and could clearly see the fistula opening very close to the abscess scar. I do hope you skip that part, but you should be aware just in case.

Fruitgirl, if you see this: Is the Lift procedure pretty new? Nothing like that was ever offered to me back then. I take it, it did not involve the sphincter at all.
Posted 5/30/2014 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
madabs, I think the LIFT procedure is fairly new, yes.

A quick google search revealed this: "The first report of preliminary healing result from the procedure were 94% in 2007."

And it was developed in Thailand, so it's not surprising it wasn't offered to you when you had your fistula.

And no, it doesn't mess with the sphincter, which is why it's a preferred surgery. The surgeon goes into the space between the two sphincters, snips the tract, then stiches the internal and external openings closed.

My surgery was mostly successful, in that the old fistula tract closed -- it was fairy long, so a traditional fistulotomy would have been pretty risky, in terms of potential incontinence. And really, the fistula I have now is not a big deal. I haven't bothered to go see the CR surgeon to see what we might do to fix it, because it really just doesn't bother me. We were talking about potentially fixing it, but then I decided to get pregnant and have another baby instead. :)
Posted 5/30/2014 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Fruitgirl! I could have googled it myself so I really appreciate you taking the time!

Not thrilled with the results of the fistulotomy. I think mine was fairly high too, but I'm not sure. I wanted the thing gone so bad I made a hasty decision. That was all before I found healingwell and learned to be more saavy about my health. I am very happy to hear that there are other better alternative now though!.
Posted 5/30/2014 5:59 PM (GMT 0)
I've had two perirectal abscesses. Treatment of the first triggered my Ulcerative Colitis. My first abscess was drained at my local clinic and the MD prescribed the anti-biotic that turned me from a healthy person into a wreck. The abscess healed relatively well despite my having to drive several hundred miles a few days after being lanced and then herding cattle shortly after that. Was it painful? Absolutely. But by the time it healed I was already experiencing bad UC symptoms.

My second abscess was last September and required surgery. The procedure involved general anaesthesia and wasn't painful. I was out of the hospital about 24 hours after I entered. What facilitated my healing was the use of a sitz bath about 3 times a day. This process regularly 'cleaned out' my rectum as it drained and tried to heal. The physicians warned me to avoid any rectal medications for about 6 weeks while I healed.

Good luck getting your abscess treated. I remember the debilitating pain I experienced the first time around. I was dumb enough to think mine was just a hemorrhoid as well.
Posted 5/30/2014 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Mr Natural, yes I am healing well, touch wood! Did they pack your wound, they are mine everyday and am now to avoid sitz baths until they are done with the packing.
Posted 5/31/2014 1:51 AM (GMT 0)
jess*- Thankfully I did not require any wound packing. I certainly understand why you need to avoid sitz baths until the wound packing days are over. That process can't be any fun. Best of luck.
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