I am a 45 year old male who developed a perianal abscess from holding my poop during the work day and then straining to get it out when I got home. I was lucky enough for my abscess to rupture on its own and then form a fistula, yay lucky me. Pre-operatively I managed my fistula for months prior to surgery and had very little drainage, bleeding or pain. I started taking curcumin, mankua honey and silicia, which is homeopathic, internally. I took Curcumin 750 mg 2 morning and 2 at night. My wonderful wife applied a paste of turmeric, mankua honey and oil of oregano topical to the external opening multiple times a day. When she couldn’t help me, I did it myself, but it was extremely helpful when she was able to do it. She also was able to see when the external opening was closing over and was going to start to form another abscess. When this would happen, I would be in some discomfort with pressure. She could see it turning purple with a blue line appearing through the middle... no clue what that was. I would sterilize a needle and she would open just the top of the external opening and let the fluid release. During my consultation with the CRS, we explained that process and he said she basically deroofed the external opening. I was infection and drainage free for months before my surgery. I feel it was due to the Curcumin mainly. I had to stop Curcumin 2 weeks prior to surgery and during that time my wife had to occasionally squeeze it like a pimple to release the pressure. It still wasn’t what I would call painful just more like a pressure sensation. We were trying to keep all fluid out of it prior to surgery. I suggest Curcumin, mankua honey and silicia. I tried all kinds of alternative medicines to not have surgery and spent a fortune. I do feel they helped control the fistula and got me in great condition to have a successful fistulotomy. I went into the surgery completely infection free. Start taking Fiber and a stool softener to get your poop right prior to surgery. Do not wait until after surgery, that is too late! I went into surgery with my poop perfect. !!!IMPORTANT!!! Find a GOOD CRS. Do your research. I went to three CRS before I found the best one who knew what he was taking about. The first CRS wanted to do a cutting seton, which the other two said was archaic and barbaric. The second one wanted to do the LIFT procedure, which would have led to two surgeries. The last one suggested and then performed a fistulotomy. I had an intersphincteric fistula with a superficial internal opening, but the tract was a low and only involved minimal muscle. He said no chance of incontinence at all!! My surgery was so simple! After surgery I went on a high protein diet but no red meat, no pork or processed meat for wound healing. I have been doing protein shakes in the morning, very low soy, with hydrolyzed collagen peptides. This helps rebuild skin. I drink at least 128 oz of water per day.
Here is my experience so far:

Monday surgery day. I got there for check in at 11:30 and went back to surgery at 12:52. My wife was told at 1:02 surgery had started. At 1:19 my wife was talking to the doctor. I left the hospital at 2:15 and my wife took me out to eat. We got home and it was a beautiful day so I went outside and watched my kids jump on the trampoline. I walked around the yard a good bit that day. I highly recommend the local numbing injection Exparel. I was totally numb afterwards and didn’t take any pain meds at all. Be prepared though I was so numb that I actually had the walking farts because I couldn’t feel anything. I pooped prior to my surgery, so luckily, I did not have to poop after surgery. Also, they recommended diffusing eucalyptus for pain relief.

Tuesday Day 1, after surgery. I woke up 8:30 with some discomfort. The numbness was slightly wearing off. I did a sitz bath, took Ibuprofen and managed discomfort. I started alternating Ibuprofen and Tylenol every 3 hours with no need for a narcotic. Once one round of Ibuprofen, one round of Tylenol, one dose of curcumin and two sitz bath, I was discomfort free. Had to take Miralax and Colace because of fullness in my lower belly. I needed to poop but didn’t want to push. Had very loose poop with no pain, no blood and very little drainage. Did 3 sitz baths and 2 more after 2 bm’s. I used a perianal bottle and Pampers pure wipes to clean (water only wipes), then sitz bath with Epsom salt and plain Dove soap. I would also put some soap in the perianal bottle to wash with as well. Pretty much discomfort free all day. Walked a lot and stood up to encourage blood flow. Made it through the night no Ibuprofen or Tylenol.

Wednesday Day 2, after surgery. I went all night no Ibuprofen or Tylenol but woke up a little sorer. After sitz bath one round of Ibuprofen, one round Tylenol, discomfort lessened. Had loose bm with no pain at all and did my normal cleaning. Took second round of Ibuprofen and curcumin. Read that curcumin is a natural pain reliever. Incision area is a little tight and uncomfortable today. But I have managed to make breakfast, coffee, make the bed up, take my kid to piano and take multiple walks today. The less you sit and lay around the better, of course without heavy exertion. Still no narcotics at all.

Thursday Day 3, after surgery. I woke up mild discomfort took sitz bath took Tylenol and Ibuprofen alternating for discomfort. I am still taking MiraLAX and Colace and drinking lots and lots of water. My poop doesn’t hurt because I do not try to strain at all. I do not go until I’m ready. I took many walks to stimulate need to poop. I tend to have more pressure and discomfort when I need to poop. Still doing my normal clean up, perianal bottle, wipes, sitz bath. Biggest discomfort I have today is not the incision but around the anus itself. It is more of a raw feeling like I have had diarrhea and wiped to hard. Took Ibuprofen three hours after Tylenol but didn’t really need it, I am just trying to stay on top of discomfort, so I can continue feeling as good as I have. I have had no loss of energy, no fatigue, no loss of appetite. I am getting very bored, so I went to go to the grocery store and grilled something for dinner tonight. The only new aggravation today is a little drainage, however Dr. said to expect major drainage a few days afterwards. I can’t say it is major at all. Its light in the feminine pad I’m wearing, yes, I am a male wearing a feminine pad on my ass.

Friday Day 4 after surgery. I had my worse pain so far at 5am! It was my fault though, I did not take my Ibuprofen and Tylenol combo like I should I have. I only took Tylenol and went 12 hours without Ibuprofen. I woke up at 5am in my first ever pain episode, not discomfort but actual pain. I woke my wife up because it was pretty bad. I would say a 5 to 6 on a 10 as the worst ever. I immediately got in a sitz bath and took Ibuprofen and did eucalyptus steam. The bath immediately relaxed the pain but was still high. My wife found pressure points which also help ease the pain. I sat in tub for an hour while she massaged pressure points. I finally got relief and laid back down at 6:00am and slept until 10:30, even on my back. I have been more sore today but honestly it feels like my stitches are pulling like they are trying to come out. I went to the grocery store, got my wife gas in her car and straightened up house while my wife worked from home. I still have only taken Ibuprofen and Tylenol and no narcotic. When I was out shopping I felt like one of my stitches popped and drainage came out. When I got home my wife looked and the stitch seemed to have released. The drainage and blood are definitely picking up today. Since the stitch loosened I honestly feel good. At one point I would say pain at a 0.5. Getting ready for bed and took my last sitz bath and shower once again feel really good, hardly any discomfort pain still 0.5 if any, minor raw feeling. Biggest advice hands down, do not miss a dose of Ibuprofen or Tylenol at all, this is where I messed up today, I learned my lesson today.
Saturday day 5 after surgery. I woke up at 7:00am with my butt burning not hurting. I found out the massive amount of draining and bleeding that the doctor said would happen finally happened. I have very sensitive skin and the drainage is irritating my skin. I took Ibuprofen and did a sitz bath and immediately felt better. Today has been my best day yet, minus this aggravating drainage. I even helped my wife clean the house today. I can’t vacuum or mop but I was able to everything else. I went to the store and the entire family went to the movies to see Avengers, so therefore I sat in a movie for 3 ½ hours no problem, fantastic movie by the way. I continued taking alternating Tylenol and Ibuprofen during the day but honestly each time I did not have any pain but took anyways. Tomorrow I am going to ween myself off of Tylenol. Today is the first day my wife can see the fistulotomy tract. Prior to today it had been swollen with stiches pulling so tight it was hard to see. We can see new tissue starting to form already.
I plan to continue posting updates every few days. I just wanted to get this out there in case anyone was struggling like I did trying to find GOOD stories about a fistulotomy surgery. DO NOT LISTEN TO THE HORROR STORIES!!!!!!!

Thank you for your post. Our forum members though, should not take any products, or apply same, unless their doctors first approve it. Nor should they take a needle and lance anything, because infection could ensue. I'm glad that things worked out well for you though, and your recovery diary will hopefully be of use to other sufferers.

I am closing this post because it is a duplicate of successful-fistulotomy-no-narcotics-t25477.html

Please post any questions or responses there.