Superficial fistula caused by anal skin tag removal

Superficial fistula caused by anal skin tag removal

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Superficial fistula caused by anal skin tag removal

Postby alishka_e » 19 Feb 2017, 14:48

Hi All,

My name is Alicia and I am a soon-to-be 34 year old this month. My story is as follows, and I am in DESPERATE need of advice, recommendations, and help. I had anal skin tag removal (3 of the tags were removed at once and cut very deeply into the muscle and then sutured up) surgery for purely cosmetic reasons back in July 2014, and ever since then, my story has been an agonizing one. The stitches all came undone within 1-2 weeks, and I was left with 3 massive surgical open fissures, which, as one can imagine, was excruciating to deal with. As the weeks and months passed, the two fissures on the side closest to my vagina slowly turned upward inside, and new skin tags formed, which was the body’s way of protecting against those open wounds. The last, and what was originally the smallest skin tag on the side of my anus that is closest to my tail bone / bottom of butt crack is the one that has now, over time, developed into this superficial fistula tissue. Basically, because that side of the anus gets very little blood flow, the open fissure caused by the original doctor would never close (plus add on the pressure of sitting on it every day, causing that open skin to stretch), and eventually that skin started to try and fold over the open fissure, basically creating a small pocket of skin, which looked like a hemorrhoid. Over the last year or so (Dec. 2015-present), the sac of skin which is visual on the outside, would become inflamed and swollen, and I always thought it was a hemorrhoid in there. The swelling and discomfort would come and go, and, over the course of a few days, it would usually subside the ugly status quo. However, about a week ago, it became inflamed in a way that I had never seen before, and eventually go to the point where it looked like a bulge of puss, and it opened up slightly at the bottom, where the pus started to drain out. I went to the ER as I was freaked out, and they gave me a course of antibiotics, which has enabled the pus to subside, however, I still have the huge pocket of skin, which is just a ticking time bomb before it becomes infected again. After the ER, I went to two different colorectal surgeons for their opinion, and both have said this is a superficial fistula/excess skin which needs to be opened up (skin removed), and that they would not sew it at all afterwards, as the stiches are likely to come open anyways. As my original skin tag/fissure on that side of my rectum never healed to begin with (whereas the other two did, not in a great way but not ever infected), I don’t have any reason to believe that a second operation would help, especially if the skin is left open and not sewed, and you have to go #2 on a regular basis afterwards, thus not really giving any time for that skin to mend. When I try and explain this whole situation to anyone who hasn’t ever dealt with this issue, I liken the tissue/skin to the cartilage on an ear lobe. For example, the thick cartilage is such that if one were to rip an earring out, splitting the cartilage into two pieces, those two pieces will never mend back together without stiches. And thus is the way I view this area – the two pieces of split skin caused surgically at the time anal skin tag removal NEVER mended back together. Instead, the two pieces of skin just sat very close to each other, open in the middle, and the skin eventually tried to fold over itself (unhealed in the middle) to protect that open fissure. And I guess over time, that skin has collected debris and bacteria and has been fighting infection, to where the superficial fistula was tunneling itself just under the skin further back towards my tailbone.

I would really like the advice of someone who has gone through something similar, and hopefully some positive news or outlook that I can take – I am feeling at the depths of depression right now, not knowing what is the right path to take, and that I may end up permanently with a colostomy bag if the skin down there never heals and continues to deteriorate and spread to other areas of the anus (as I feel there is another ripple of skin developing right next to the main sac/fistula and that pus could eventually start eating it’s way under that section of skin too.

Someone please help! My cell phone number is 954-288-6877, and anyone can call me directly if it’s easier than posting back on this forum. I need help so badly.

Desperately,
Alicia
alishka_e
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Re: Superficial fistula caused by anal skin tag removal

Postby Hafzaal » 21 Feb 2017, 15:53

Hi Alicia,

I'm not sure if this will help but I had a fissure which got infected and turned to a superficial fistula as per my CRS. I just had surgery today and I'm feeling great. I guess I just wanted to confirm with you that even in my case I was told that there will be no stitches and that the fistula site would just heal like a normal wound does after the surgeon does whatever it is they do in these cases.
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Re: Superficial fistula caused by anal skin tag removal

Postby alishka_e » 22 Feb 2017, 01:04

Thank you Hafzaal! Do you mind me asking which area of the anus it was? Posterior near the tail bone/base of butt crack? Glad you are feeling well...I am scared.
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Re: Superficial fistula caused by anal skin tag removal

Postby Hafzaal » 22 Feb 2017, 08:28

Yes it was in the 6 'oclock position. Even though I rarely felt pain before the surgery, my CRS told me that a fistula will never heal on its own and he said he would recommend surgery so I went for it. It was pretty simple as he said its only gonna take him 10 min. You too should get a surgery done so you can start feeling better.
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Re: Superficial fistula caused by anal skin tag removal

Postby alishka_e » 22 Feb 2017, 13:33

Ah, so the little hand was at the 6? That is where mine is as well. Thank you. How bad was your fistula? Was there a bulge on outside where pus was collecting/abscess?
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Re: Superficial fistula caused by anal skin tag removal

Postby Hafzaal » 22 Feb 2017, 15:51

alishka_e wrote:Ah, so the little hand was at the 6? That is where mine is as well. Thank you. How bad was your fistula? Was there a bulge on outside where pus was collecting/abscess?


Not sure what you mean by the little hand. I was just told 6 o clock. Im guessing it wasnt bad since the doctor said its very small and I also rarely felt pain from it. Honestly I cant recall there being a bulge. Maybe because the doctor said that the pus drained out automatically for me.
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