My loved one had a fistulotomy Tuesday and today is Sunday. I have been packing her wound with very little instruction. I have a few questions that I hope some of you might be able to answer:

1: When she urinates, the urine sprays back and gets on the gauze, so we are having to repack it numerous times each day which is very uncomfortable for her. I am wondering if any women have a solution for this.

2: When she showers, should she wash the area directly? We have been doing a sitz bath every time we need to change it (so numerous each day since we have to repack every time she urinates).

3: Yesterday I noticed some yellow discharge coming from the lowest part of the wound (furthest part from the anus). We cannot go to the wound clinic until tomorrow since it is the weekend so I am wondering if there is anything anyone would recommend to help clean it? I have not been putting epsom salt in the sitz bath, but tried it last night, but it hurt so bad she was crying so we stopped that. They gave me some hydrogel to use when packing her wound, but I am wondering if there is anything I can do to take better care of the wound.

Any advice would be very appreciated. I feel so alone and so worried.

I know this is a few days late, and I'm a male so i can't help you on #1, but hopefully I can on #2 and 3.

I was told to not directly wash the wound after my abscess/fistula surgery. Doctor said I could splash water up there, but no rubbing anything anything up there. Just let water hit it via shower or bath. For the first 2 weeks, I only did baths and just let the soaking in the tub do the cleaning.

Discharge is normal, I had some green and yellow discharge(and still have a little bit). To clean it, it comes down to baths / showers and swapping out gauze. And my Doctor told me no epson salt either, I'm guessing it's because it hurts as you found out.