Hey all,
Just sharing my experiences with regards to the ailment and the treatment, which I had operated on the 4th of September, 2012.
I've had fistula of the ano-rectal region for the last 11 years (yeah!) and was consistently ignoring it, trying homeopathy medication from different doctors (trust me, it does NOT work!) all this while.
While the fistula was not causing any specific discomfort besides the once every 2-3 days discharge and itching, it was a tremendous emotional burden. Last month, I was suggested Ayurvedic treatment and I went ahead with it. It's a minor surgical procedure called Kshar Sutra, considered pretty safe and very effective, less painful and cheaper. BUT, considering the fistula had already spread its tentacles and was inching towards the scrotum on one side and the spinal cord on the other, Kshar Sutra made it worse, and this led to an infection in the entire anal region, causing pus accumulation and unbearable pain. Saving the day using painkiller injections, I realized, going for the convenient approach was not the right thing to do. Evidently, this form of treatment does not work on advanced cases as mine. I was suggested immediate surgery the very next day (Fistulotomy) by a renowned procto-surgeon. The surgery lasted about 1 and half hours and as per the doctors account, the situation looked pretty bad (close to 200 ml of pus had accumulated and had to be drained!)! Apparently, he used a fistula-plug to seal the internal anal opening and cut the tract open using laser and removed the close-to-15cms-long fistula tract. There were no stitches involved and the cut wound has been kept open ever since. I was discharged from the hospital in 1.5 days, have been changing the cotton pads on my own twice or thrice a day (to soak the discharge from the open wound, which too is reducing day by day) and visiting the doctor twice a week for the wound clean-up. Besides the dietary restrictions (avoid oily, spicy, alcohol, meat etc) and the discomfort in sitting at work, it has been pretty okay post-surgery. The wound is healing fine and hopefully it'll be good in another month or so.
My sincere advise to all those who are suffering, please have it operated at the earliest. You never know what it might be doing to your body within. Medications don't work!