Surgery on March 3rd. Nervous but I know it will be ok.

Surgery Monday. yikes

Good luck Zazz!

Good luck with the surgery. Will be thinking of you.

Praying all goes well on Monday for you Zazz .. Im sure you are in good hands .. keep us updated

Surgery was Monday. Had 2 seton put in. Amazingly, little pain. Problem is, I received no further instructions from mr Dr. I go back in 2 weeks but not sure for what. I can feel the rubber bands but they don't hurt. He gave me pain pills but I was out of it and didn't ask questions. Am I through? What next. I know he is a good Dr but his communication skills stink. What do you guys think?

http://www.ouh.nhs.uk/patient-guide/lea ... istula.pdf
Glanced over the instructions. They look legit. I am a nurse, but have never had a Seton or a patient with one. Just had a fistulotomy myself, so typing this while lying on my side. I return to work Friday and I am not ready. Dreading that. Good luck!

Hi Zazz glad to hear surgery went well and you have lil pain if any... Setons usually stay in for a bit mine was in for 6 wks and i have heard of others that have had them in for alot longer. They say when they use a Seton that means that too much muscle was involved and they could not do not cut you without risking incontenence. The 2 week apt is probably a check up on the placemnt of the setons and it also depends on which type of seton you have some are tighened over time to help close the track. A few pieces of advice that i was given on here by experienced people was to use baby wipes when you have a bm as toilet paper might get snaged on the seton plus it gives you a better clean. Also might help to be doing sitz baths as they are a great form of pain relief after a bm with the risk of constipation, careful on the pain meds you dont want to get constipated and usually pain meds do that so if you are taking pain meds use a stool softener/laxative with it. the softer your poop the easier it will be to pass... drink mega water and keep up on your fruits and veggies just to keep your poop soft... i was in the same boat as you my doc didnt explain much after my surgery but i didnt have a 2 wk check up my doc didnt want to see me until the 6 wk mark as thats how long it takes for a fistolotomy to heal and then he would remove my seton. Im sure you will learn more at the next apt but dont be affraid to call your doc and ask questoins... keep your spirits up as you are on the road that will lead to putting this behind you.... :)

I haven't posted in awhile. I'm 2 1/2 months out from surgery with 2 setons. My setons were removed yesterday.once again, nervous to know what lies ahead. My doctor was the worst communicator I've ever seen. However, I can live with that if he's good. The past 2 1/2 months have been extremely frustrating, to say the least. Had I not found this forum prior to my surgery, it would have been way worse. I can honestly say, the surgery was nothing compared to the pain prior to surgery. I found it horrible to never feel totally clean. I feared a bowel movement at work and would do anything I could to hold off until I got home. It seemed no matter what I did, using gauze, pads, wet wipes stuffed in my bum, I still feared having accidents. Ok,so on to life without the seton. Next day, I find myself walking and gas bubbles are coming through the holes. It's hard to tell if I had an accident or just air. Will the holes from the 2 setons close on their own? If so, how long does it take? Does anyone else feel like you don't want your husband or wife to touch you because you feel nasty? Are you ever able to resume an intimate relationship? I feel so bad for my husband. Prior to the fistulas, I had so many UTI'S , then the abscesses and fistulas. I've undergone 4 bladder surgeries. These have created so much scar tissue that it had gotten painful . I was praying the fistulas and removal of them may alleviate some of these issues. I know I'm getting off topic here but to me, it's all related. Can someone give me some insight on your experience?

Hey zazz congrats on getting the setons removed that's a good sign ... Mine did close on its own about a week to a week and a half after the seton was removed... All drainage stopped within the same time frame ... The only issues I have today is never being able to get 100% clean after a bowel movement .... About 15-20 minutes after a bm I have to go and reclean as I get run off(left behind poop) ... Someone on here said it best that they get excess poo caught in their gutter lol which is a perfect way to describe it ... I still use baby wipes as I find I feel better cleaning up with them ... The other issue I have is that I can't hold gas ... If I need to fart look out cuz it's gonna blow lol..... as for the intimate part I still am not too comfy with my hubby in that way as I'm scared I'm dirty with excess poop or gas will slip out ... My hubby understands and was with me the whole way through my ordeal he was my at home doc so he is very familiar with how my butt/cheek looks like now but yes some days our intimacy isn't there ... Not sure on the scar tissue part due to the uti I have never had them ... Once things settle down even more I'm sure ur confidence level will come back ... It takes time it did for me ... Chin up things will get better ;)