Hi there,
I just found this board as I came from a surgeon today with some scary news. It's very personal I guess but I guess I can be blunt here. It's a long story so I hope you will stick with me and I'll explain as best I can. I'm hoping for some support, maybe some opinions if not actual advice.
Well, I have, according to the surgeon I saw today an anal fistula. This whole thing started with what i thought was a boil in the perineum area. It got really bad and well, popped and seemed better after that. There remained a little hole. (My obgyn probed this hole and said it led nowhere) It keeps getting infected (maybe once or twice a year) but it causes the whole area inside (around the rectum) to become swollen and hard now and doesn't make a bump like it first did like a boil or cyst. (sigh this is hard to talk about)
well, went to the obgyn and she referred me to a proctologist/surgeon. He examined me today and said he believes i have a fistula. He wants to do a thorough exam under general anesthesia and if i actually have a fistula he wants to do a "seton" which he told me is like putting a rubber band around the fistula. He didn't explain how he'd do that... if it was actually surgical or whatever. Then he said he'd want to do a "anal advancement flap"
This thing that's worrying me... is that if i let him do this then i'm going to sleep not knowing what i'm going to wake up with. also, he never looked at the actual hole left from the boil/abscess thing and didn't look when i told him about it. he just looked at my rectal region. (the hole is closer to my vagina) i'm thinking i'll get a second opinion but i am not even sure if that's what's wrong since he wants to fully examine me under anesthesia.
It's not like a big horrible problem for me... it's just periodically it gets infected and then i take antibiotics and then it feels better. So... just being so invasive seems like overkill to me. i'm a lot upset so i hope this made sense....
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this. I'm so glad there's a forum like this to discuss something so difficult. <3
Forgot to add that all these problems started because of chronic constipation.

Hmmmm..... I guess this board is for fissures.... read it wrong.. sorry :(

This board is for fissures and other butt issues...as you can see, there are lots more things than just fissures!I would definitely get a second opinion...but at the same time, be prepared in case you get the same info. Either way, wouldnt you like to not have the infection a couple times a year? If it is an easy fix, go for it. But, find out exactly what all the scenarios will be when you go under.Good luck and keep us posted!

Thank you for the response :) I was feeling awful lonely there for awhile. It would be nice not to have the issue. However, after googling stuff I think I feel worse.... lots of bad outcomes from the surgery he's talking about.

Doctors give so little information