Folks,

I had surgery few days ago to drain a nasty golf ball sized perianal abscess. Still sore and taking sitz baths, high fiber diet water. I want to heal up without it becoming the much dreaded fistula! Any ideas how to best prevent it from going this route? The proctologist was fine draining the abscess but failed to offer me any real advice on how to prevent it from getting worse and becoming a fistula. She just told me it's luck of draw and 50% get fistula. Why does modern medical science suck so bad and offer little real treatment options for these anal problems? It's very painful embarrassing and frustrating as a young man to go through this horrific issue.

my thoughts exactly! except I am a 38 year old woman, lol. Seriously, I read the same thing and as I read it I thought to myself that I will probably get the damn fistula, which I did. I do not believe there is anything you can do to prevent it. I think it's just the luck of the draw, so to speak. I would advise you to keep a close eye that way you can go right to your doctor if something is not right. The sooner s fistula is caught the better off you are. I just had fistula surgery and because we caught it right away it was simple, not complicated. It really isn't that bad.
Hoping you will be in the other 50%! Take care and good luck to you!

Thanks jlm1

How long did you wait after getting the abscess drained before realizing it was a fistula? Reason why I ask is that I don't want to wait too long. How did you know that it wasn't getting better? This really sucks worse than wisdom teeth and kidney stones put together! One of my friends is older in his 60s and lucky bastard never had any type of anal problems.

Hi sjenner ... Jim1 is right there is no way to prevent a fistula just the same as no way to prevent the anal abscess .. I had an abscess also and once drained I was told in 3-4 weeks all draining should stop but in my case it didn't that's when I knew I now had a fistula.. A mean doc told me the nite I had the abscess drained that she was 100% sure I was gonna have a fisutla and she ended up right ... I ended up having a fistulotomy and seton placed and now I'm back to life as best as I will be and the only issue I have now is having to do extra clean up after each bowel movement ... Listen to ur body if u think something is going on get it checked ... Best of luck with everything .. This place is great for info or support :)

It all happened in a 2 week period. I had it drained and was given antibiotics. I went back a week later and crs said it looked good....no pus or drainage. That was a friday. But over the weekend I just still didn't feel right. It just felt like something was not right down there. I stayed home from work Monday, went back and this time the exam hurt. (i hadn't at all on friday)
She said she saw some drainage and wanted to take a closer look while I was under general. At that point I just knew it was a fistula. She said she thought it was but couldn't be sure until she was looking. So I went into the procedure not knowing exactly what would happen. Turned out, mine was a simple procedure, no seton. My advice would be to check back in with your doctor and if something doesn't feel right, get it checked out!! Keep us posted!

Just echoing everyone else's responses here!!
A burst anal abscess led to my fistula a few weeks later.....I'd done so much research on fissures after getting one of them too and had read a lot on Fistulas after the abscess. I knew pretty much, my chances were 50/50 and was able to detect the thing as soon as it surfaced, sought immediate medical help and it was gone as quickly as it arrived!
Simple procedure, no seton required......It is nothing compared to a painful fissure!!Good luck & hoping a fistula does not surface for you! :)

Thanks everyone you are very supportive! What upsets me the most is how lame the medical community is to deal with anal problems. As a modern western society we are still using technology from 500 years ago! More a rant than anything the lack of discussion in society because ass problems are "embarrassing" and politically incorrect versus breast cancer which is constantly getting money and attention from the media. Why are there so few modern treatments for a thousand year scourge? Why are lasers not being used to zap the ass pain? I am perplexed and dumbfounded at how bad modern medical science SUCKS! Rant off.

Hi, I've just joined this Forum, being forced to do so as a fallout of my recent surgery of the peri anal abscess. Now within 4 weeks, the pus has come but quickly drained out through homeopathy HEPAR SULP 30 (2 pills in water).
Does anyone have experience in this route?
I'm looking for unconventional ways and wish to avoid surgery.