by JB620 » 25 Apr 2017, 08:22
For anyone anxious about having a fistula procedure, here's my story. Going in to this I was a wreck- extremely anxious, feeling exposed/invaded. This is the toughest thing Ive had to do. hopefully this will provide some comfort I hope this will provide some comfort for those of you not knowing what to expect from a fistulotomy.
Here's my story for you...
March 2017: Went to CRA for perianal abscess. I had it drained in the office. They have me a few shots of numbing agent - which was the most painful part, felt like burning bee stings- lanced to drain, rinsed with saline, packed, and covered with pads of gauze. I was out the door in about 20 minutes. Following that procedure, I would advise to doing as many sitz baths (very warm baths) as much as you are able. This will soften the packing and make it easier to remove; however, this was a stinging and uncomfortable process for me. The packing does dry a bit and so it feels like pulling a bandaid off of very sensitive skin- ouch!-BUT- once it's out, you'll feel a million times better. Baths will help with pain and healing process. Keep up on ibuprofen to minimize inflammation, and don't be scared to have a BM. It doesn't hurt! The Open wound is what is painful. I experienced a lot of aching and just continued to lay on my sides for a few days. By day 4-5, I felt a lot better! Just take it easy and move around when you're able.
The first week or so I had some drainage, but nothing serious. Little blood and moderate amount of "goop", as I like to call it. As the weeks continued though, my pain seemed to minimize but only to a certain point. Two days before my follow-up visit, I went for a short, easy run and noticed the next day another abscess was forming. When I saw my CRS two days later, he said that was a sign of a fistula and scheduled surgery for 3 days later.
Pre-surg: I started taking a still softener and eating more fiber the day before my surgery. I also drank about 1.5 gallons of water (~5 Liters). I would recommend waiting until the day after surgery to take the still softener though because taking it too early, in addition to the extra fiber and anxiety, gave me diarrhea. I started fasting at 11:30 PM. Little did I know that a delay in schedule would cause for me to be fasted 23 hours... ugh.
Day of Surgery: I did one FLEET enema at home. If you're scared to do this, don't worry! It doesn't hurt. You'll feel pressure in your bum and a cold feeling as the liquid travels in, then you'll need to poo and feel just fine. I arrived at the hospital 3 hrs before my appt as directed. They took my height, weight, blood pressure and pulse, asked me to slip into a gown and socks and I was snug as a bug in bed. No poking or prodding. LADIES: I was a few days into my period and I was allowed to wear a tampon into the OR. It was taken out at some point, but It did make me feel more comfortable to have it in until in was asleep. Also, my anesthesiologist did allow me to wear a non-wire/no metal sports bra.
I had to wait to see my CRS, who stopped by just to see how I was feeling and give me a time Update, 2 of his PAs (physicians assistants, and the anesthesiologist. All were very kind, quick, asked if I had questions, and left. Again, no poking or prodding.
Unfortunately, the ORs had a full schedule that day, so we had to wait an extra 2.5 hrs! Yikes. The anxiety of waiting was horrible. Once they came to get me, and wheeled me into the OR, the tried to help comfort me, put a few "stickers" on (for heart monitoring), and then I woke up! Lol
Surgical findings: I had a fistula about 1in long (3.5-ish cm). I was uninflected and easily opened. The CRS estimated 3-4 eeeks before I'd be feeling pretty normal again. Keeping in mind that it was an easy surgery, this is my post-op experience...
Post-Op room: when I woke up, I was. Or in pain. I was warm in a. Inch of blankets, my legs/feet felt heavy and numb, and my throats hurt (from the tube they use to keep you breathing under GA). My throat hurting was the thing o noticed most that upset me. For whatever reason, my reaction to waking up from the anesthesia was to cry lol LADIES: I had on stretchy net panties with a pad in them for menses. It took me about 35 minutes to really understand what was going on. They unhooked my IV to keep me comfy and went over post-op care and medication with my husband. I was given two painkillers before I left. In my instance, the surgery was pushed back so late that we weren't able to get my pain meds prescriptions that night. I took ibuprofen in the middle of the night to try to hold me over.
Diary continued in real time...
Last edited by
JB620 on 25 Apr 2017, 21:51, edited 1 time in total.