anyone ever had laid open fistula surgery. if so,,, wot does it involve, whats the healin time, how is it packed,
the nurse came today and said if the mri scan etc shows an active fistula it wood be laid open surgery
any ideas

I have had this done. It made the area feel so much better to get it healing the right way. It was painful but I was in so much pain before that the surgery didn't seem to add any more pain, if you know what I mean.
The deroof the area that is not healing so that is starts to heal from the bottom up. I had packing that was changed morning and night to begin with. I put a little bit of antibiotic cream on mine to help prevent infection and help it stick. Once the packing was in (it is like small steri-strips that my hubby put in with tweezers) I didn't feel it. I had to do that for 3-4 weeks.
I am sorry that you have to go through even more surgery after all you have been through but compared to all that you have been through this shouldn't be nearly as painful and complicated. Take care, Dazzy!

Tootie,
You are so knowledgeable about the procedure. Your hubby gets kuddos for taking such good care of you!! I don't know that I would trust my husband putting tweezers up my butt!
Dazzy,
At least it sounds like you are getting very good care.

so its another open wound, i had thoughts of packing getting put inside my butt to the fistula. ohhhh man i hope it dont show an active fistula, i cudnt relly bear more surgery on my butt, .. i wish the nurse never told me now.. since dec 08 my life has stopped... i cant see an ending, just had enuff

Maybe it won't happen, Dazzy!! How do they do an MRI of the butt? Do they stick an instrument up there???

i had it also,i dont remember if i had the fistulotomy,or the fistulectomy,i will have to look at my old posts,anyway,mine started as my fissure was all but healed,i noticed a little bump and when i squeezed it stuff came out,i went for months with it,then it got big..and abcessed!so i went back to the gast.dr.he sent me to a general surgeon,he literally looked at it for 15 seconds,set me up for surgery on dec4th 07..in and out in a half day,maybe a little more..healed pretty quick and clean,had a chunk of my rear missin due to the abcess they cut out.mine had tracked towards my rear itself.it was like2 inches long,he laid it open and it healed up fine,had no probs with pooping or anything.mine never did hurt,just annoying..oh yea,i just stuffed 4x4 gauze down there for 2 weeks or so and was good.i didnt get sterile strips...just some kind of sexy fishnet panties they put me in to go home in to hold the gauze and wadding in,you ought to see that picture!

cheers guys,
the mri scan is of my pelvis, nd cat is a full abdominal one .
so the packing to the laid open fistula op is not pushed up ur butt,
wen i got my abcess drained wot 5 weeks ago now they pack the cavity.

any updates on your fistula woes??

hi there dano
i just got my mri etc done on monday 23rd so now it a waiting game to see the specialist to review the scans etc, hoping ths will be in the next 2 weeks, but with uk nhs it might be longer. so until then i guess i hold tight and hope everything is fine.
i hope everything is ok with you. take care my friend.

sounds very silly i know but i got to ask this
my abcess caused a fistula from the 6 oclock area of my anus, and it goes to the open wounded where i had my abcess. i have a stich inside just at the side of the open wound going over my midline up towards my anus where it goes into the the 6oclock area and comes out again where its knoted,. hoping you ave the idea.
question is when passing gas would it be possibe for some of the gas to come out of the open wound. i felt this a few times but just thought it was with the packing, gauze pads, etc making the gas travel down my midline nd pass the wound. but today i really feel it coming out of the wound its self... am i being silly.. or can this happen.. have search the net but cant find anything to match this. hoping some1 can help here..