Hi.
I've only just found this forum today. First thing to say is I live in the UK, but from a quick look it seems like you have a few posters from my side of the pond.
I'm not even sure that what I have would be described as an anal fistula, but I certainly have a problem with my rear end, and I'm due to see a specialist on Wednesday. I saw him a couple of years ago and was told, 'I can do an operation, but there's a chance it could make a bad situation worse' That's actually worse than being told 'There's nothing we can do', or 'You're going to have a serious op whether you like it or not' I mean, do you play safe, and stick, or twist?
Briefly, 53 year old male. First had a problem going to the loo over 30 years ago. I had a polyp removed from back passage, but what they didn't tell me was they had also removed about a third of the internal sphincter muscle as well. This led to me constantly going back to doctor over the years saying I never felt clean, and it took me ages (minimum of 20 minutes) in the loo each time, and I needed to use alot of paper each time, generally feeling miserable, felt I had a smell, etc.
A few years ago I then had an op for haemmerhoids, and afterwards was left with something that I think is called a Whitehead deformity, or ectropion. Anyway, it's sort of mucosal skin, which permanantly feels damp. I think this is meant to be internal skin which somehow got pulled out when I had the haemmeroidectomy. I think the surgeon may have an analplasty op in mind, but having found site today, and read someone elses experience I don't know what to do. I don't have anything life threatening, but I take 20 minutes plus in the loo, I think I smell, (because you know what sticks to this damp, mucosal skin, that shouldn't be there) and I feel unclean and miserable, so I feel I have to try something. The op from 30 years ago left me slightly incontinent anyway The internal sphincter muscle is like a sliding door, and someone has sawn a third of it off, so it never closes properly, hence a lot of mess, and alot of paper needed every time I go.
I feel totally stressed out at the moment. In the UK we have local doctors (General Practitioners, or GP's for short) I had to ask my GP to show me the specialists report from a couple of years ago (otherwise I wouldn't have seen his conclusions) When I go back on Wednesday and say 'Please do something' I think he will say 'analplasty' but having read someone's account of the op on this forum I don't know what to do. Colostomy was also mentioned. I know exactly what that is, and I assume that's last resort, but i'm almost starting to think that would be preferable to analplasty, as in 'people have colostomies, and they do cope' Maybe it's all going round in my head I'm so stressed out. Anyone got any similar story, or words of comfort?
Thanks,