First off, I hope everyone is well. I know how helpful people find the threads in respect of their surgery experiences, so, here’s mine.

For my general experience of fissure to fistula, please see here:

https://anal-fissure.org/from-fissure-to-fistula-t26658.html

Yesterday, I had a lay open of a fistula (complete with a flexible sigmoidoscopy). Some of the stories on the forum talk about extreme pain, I thought I’d share my experience thus far. Yesterday, surgery I was groggy, the nursing staff managed my pain really well with paracetamol and diclofenac. I was able to mobilise around the hospital, without any issues.

One side effect not much mentioned is coming around from the surgery and suddenly thinking you need a BM when you are unlikely to do so, that was uncomfortable. Not quite as uncomfortable as waking up at 2am and wondering whether you are about to fart or launch into an incredibly uncomfortable post surgical BM. Thankfully a fart…

Got out of hospital this morning, first BM at home this afternoon. It was hard (I hadn’t started taking the laxative yet), there was pain. Although nothing compared to what one experiences with a fissure. There was also amusement, there’s nothing like your wife drying your bum with a hair dryer (shower + blow dried bum hole being the recommendation of my very experienced surgeon).

I’ll keep checking in with progress. If you’re worried about fistula surgery I am happy to share experience.

(Surgery completed in an English private hospital. But, good friend just had very similar surgery in NHS hospital so have some insight with that too if you’re in the UK.)

Day 2.

Last night I crashed, lack of sleep the night before and the amount of drugs floating about my system.

This morning, BM was fine, pain much less than yesterday. Combination of laxative, paracetamol and diclofenic taken.

Fingers crossed all continues well today,

Wishing you a speedy recovery! Very brave to go through this. Is your fissure still there? I’m terrified of surgery and constipation with all the drugs! Thanks for your update

Fissure healed weeks and weeks ago. Had chat to surgeon about too, basically as it healed all of the rubbish collected under the skin and caused the abscess which eventually caused the fistula.

All unpleasant. Hopefully the end of the problems though…

That’s great news it’s healed! How long did you have it? Hopefully this is the road to recovery now fully. Just keep everything soft and fingers crossed for you

Probably about a year, albeit it wasn’t active the whole time. February 2022 started but GTN seemed to sort it, then back with a vengeance this year…