Nova Scotia here :) ... My follow up apt is 6 wks after the surgery Jan 23 is when I go see the doc .. He said it takes 6 wks to heal so he will see me then and then also remove the seton and hopefully that worked.. My seton is a stitch seton not sure what that means but how will they remove it kinda nervous over that where he's doing it in his office .. I think ur right the stuff coming out is normal ... I'm just so scared things are gonna go wrong and more surgery will be needed I know I haven't been through as much as u diamond nth this stuff can really get to U after a while ... Where in canada are u diamond? Happy holidays to all :)

I lived in Halifax for a number of years :) I'm in Toronto now.
I would think you need a second surgery to remove the seton unless it's a cutting seton which slowly works it's way out. However, I think depending on the position of the seton they can just snip it out (that's what another surgeon told me). If you want to talk offline, feel free to private message me!

Hi Dewlilly,
It's good to read you made it through the surgery and from what I read in your post, makes me feel that everything is pretty much normal still at this stage! The initial smelly pus you had would have been pretty normal and now it seems to have calmed down, it still indicates that all is OK and you are healing as you should.
You would know if you had an infection for sure. As Diamond says, you would also be feeling ill and would be getting more aggravation from the wound area. If in any doubt and for your own peace of mind, if it helps you, get it checked! (if anything more to relax your mind and remove any additional stress there)
People with more complex fistulas do take a while longer to heal than others because there is a substantial amount of pus build-up, which needs to be released. Some older posts on this site, reported up to 9 months of leakage, but also stated it was the very last symptom they got before being fully healed, so it can be totally normal and I really would try to relax the best you can - The fact your wound wasn't packed is good because it is possibly not so deep as others so will heal well.......
Try not to scare yourself about the granulation tissue too. There will be scar tissue in the area because of the healing itself but it's unlikely it should cause you any issues and normally, a fistula will just heal over nicely and not create any further issues. Do not scare yourself over all the net "horror" stories!!! I admit to being the biggest culprit too BUT it really does NOT help in any way!!!......Granulation tissue is normally a deeper red and "rougher" texture, but over time, becomes more of a natural pink colour in time and smooths out, so don't worry about this! Mine went from being pretty raw red and a few weeks on, the wound just filled out and looked pretty much like it always was down there!
Sitting wasn't too much of an issue for me, but bearing in mind I had a less complex procedure than you.....although I did find it pretty uncomfortable getting in and out of a car for a few weeks though! Just take it as easy as you can and in time, you will find sitting should become more comfortable. It's also good to keep moving around too to ensure you are keeping blood flowing to the area to assist your healing.....You will get there in your own time and in the meantime, lay off the net research (!) and just trust that your body is healing well, and in time, this will all be behind you :)
Wishing you all the very best in 2014 :)

Hi ETO ... Hope ur holidays were good.. I have cut out the internet research as it's scary with people's accounts and usually it is horror stories. I was very scared if fumbling something up with my wound where no one is checking it but ur right I would know if something was wrong. This site is so helpful during all this as u all ur own stories show there I life after all this. Which hope so .. Scared on how they take the stitch seton out though and praying that it has worked not sure mentally if I could keep going on with this .. I know there are people who have been through worse with it just turns life upside down for a while but seems this type of issue takes time to heal correctly. Thank again for ur input and advice it helps. Let's hope 2014 brings good help to all if us <3

Hope you're feeling better Dewlilly!

Almost at the 4 wk mark and the healing seems to be going well as far as i can tell... I never did go to the doc as i noticed things really leveled off and seems normal. Not to bug you all again but im kinda freaking out on how they will remove the seton. From what i have seen on the net with setons they normally have and entrance and an exit or like you can see it going in one area and then come out another well mine doesnt. All i can see is 2 pieces of rubber tied together sticking out my rectum. which is what is confusing me as to how he will get itout. He is planning on taking it out in his clinic visit on Jan 23 but i am freaking out with it. so do they just pull it out and if they do that doesnt that reopen or leave a small hole where the seton was running through? Like isnt a seton usually a loop kinda which i could kinda under stand then slipping it out .... i dont know just really starting to stress over when they take it out and also how will they know its ready to come out.... very sorry for all the questions just seems you guys are all i have for help with this ..... I also seen that when Diamond had her seton removed there was still drainage so i should expect that too .. thanks to anyone who answers me ... Tomorrow is my first physical day back to work i have been working from home since like 4 days after surgery but i have a desk job so heres hoping i can sit for 8 hrs... :)

I had my setons removed during surgery, so I was put under. In my case I had two fistula tracts, and two setons placed.. and my last surgery where they removed both setons left me with a huge gaping deep wound - I believe that they did a fistulotomy with the last area that hadn't been touched during the first two surgeries. To put it into perspective, I am almost 5 months post-surgery now and I still have a tiny open wound. I no longer have draining from it though - given the size of my wound I would say I had draining for 3-4 months after surgery.

A different surgeon (who I didn't go with) had mentioned they can easily remove the seton in office - I assume it is easy to snip the part that it external and the rest will slip out. I assume you would still have a small wound left which will need to heal and close up over time? I am just assuming here though - no idea how it's really done. I would ask your doctor about the exact procedure - especially if you're nervous.

Hi Dewlily,
It's good to read you are making progress in your healing and heading back to work. It will also hopefully provide you with a welcome distraction! I took a soft pillow with me to sit on after my op and that really helped - one of those soft squidgy beanie-type pillows is also really good.
I came to exactly the same assumptions as Diamond too about the Seton removal - I'm sure they will just snip it and gently remove the remainder and I doubt you would be in too much discomfort but it might be helpful for you to call & ask some questions about the procedure to feel more comfortable about it and put your mind at rest. As Diamond says, most setons are removed quite simply in the surgeon's office because by this stage, a patient has generally healed up really well to the extent that the seton can be taken out without any trauma.
Try not to worry too much about the final procedure - Nothing will be as bad as it once was and just see yourself as becoming healed & well again. You're doing really well! :)
Good luck back in the office too........

Thank u both for replying I hope u both realize that ur words are a great support and comfort. Day 2 back at work and seemed to have a little more discomfort today but I think that would be normal considering I'm sitting all day. Is it normal to go from a lil drainage one day to a lot the next? I'm actually scared to call the surgeons office and ask questions cuz I got the feeling I was a burden or a not important patient .... This site has helped me more then the surgeon other then him doing the cutting part... Lol ... Thanks so much for helping me through this .. Don't know where I would be with out yahs <3

Hang in there! Things will slowly get back to normal..
I technically still have to tuck gauze in but I feel so "normal" compared to even 1-2 months ago.

I think it's normal to have increased drainage once you start moving around a lot more again..I noticed that I had a lot more drainage and bleeding once I started going to work. Also sitting on it for extended periods seemed to "irritate" it.