Risks and benefits of surgery stats?

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Risks and benefits of surgery stats?

Postby Asore Arseagain » 03 Jul 2014, 11:13

Hi all,

I am due to have an EUA on Tuesday, and possibly a Fistulotomy, Or a seton. Does anyone know the success rates and failure rates (risks to incontinence) for both of these procedures? Ive been trawling the internet, but i cant find what i am looking for....... Thanks AA
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Re: Risks and benefits of surgery stats?

Postby MarathonGirl » 04 Jul 2014, 00:30

I had 2 setons placed during surgery in December, then got reinfected and had another surgery 3 weeks ago and my doctor took out the 2 setons and placed 1 in a different spot. The setons really aren't a big deal (not painful) and I was told that patients with Crohns can live with them for months or even years. I was possibly looking at getting a Fistulotomy because my doctor told me it's the only procedure that will 100% fix the fistula, but in my case the risk of incontinence is too high so she won't consider it. Instead I'm getting a LIFT which only has a 60% success rate. (From what I've read on this forum and other sites, doctors generally won't do a fistulotomy if there is too much of a risk of incontinence. It really depends on how much of your sphincter muscle they would have to cut through; everyone's different.)
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Re: Risks and benefits of surgery stats?

Postby Asore Arseagain » 04 Jul 2014, 14:01

Hi MGirl

Many thanks for your response and reassurances.
I hope the Lift proceedure works out for you. When are you due to have it?
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Re: Risks and benefits of surgery stats?

Postby tll » 07 Jul 2014, 14:21

Everyone is different. I have had a seton, a fistulotomy, a LIFT procdedure, a mushroom drain ,a advance flap procedure and now another mushroom drain and all of mine have failed. I have the best colo rectal Dr in the St. Louis area,but because where mine is at its high it is very hard to heal. I go back to see my Dr tomorrow and see what is next. This has all been since Nov 2013. Wish you the best. And I have no Crohns or anything just a fistula.
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Re: Risks and benefits of surgery stats?

Postby Asore Arseagain » 09 Jul 2014, 03:08

tll, many thanks for your post. I'm sorry to hear how much you have been through and as yet no successes. How did your recent visit with your doctor go?? 'I hope theres some light at the end of the tunnel' for you. Best wishes, AA
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Re: Risks and benefits of surgery stats?

Postby tll » 09 Jul 2014, 18:47

I seen my Dr yesterday and he said he wants to keep the drain in and see me in a month because its still draining he said the fistula track is getting smaller, but the cavity is still fairly large and he will have to another surgery. He is going to do another Advance Flap, but this time use mesh about the size of a postage stamp he said. And i have gone from working 5 days a week to 4 days and he told me to cut back another day really wanted me to cut back 2 days but i just cant afford it because my job i stand 8 hours and he said thats aggravating the muscle because when i get home from work it hurts so bad i just lay all evening. But he stills seems to think it will heal its just going to be a long process he said. And thank you.
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Re: Risks and benefits of surgery stats?

Postby Asore Arseagain » 14 Jul 2014, 08:54

Hi tll

Sorry to hear its a long road for you and that your work is aggravating the problem, thats really difficult, these illnesses have real impact on our whole lives not just our bodies. Good luck with it all. AA
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Re: Risks and benefits of surgery stats?

Postby Savaici » 14 Jul 2014, 11:44

So sorry, tll, that you can't cut back more on your work in order to heal. Wish you the very best.

By the way, if you are happy with your doctor, would you consider posting this in the sub-forum for doctors to help others.
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Re: Risks and benefits of surgery stats?

Postby diamond2 » 14 Jul 2014, 14:14

I would say the risks/benefits really depend on your individual situation. I've had multiple setons and finally the LIFT procedure. I need to re-clean a couple of times after BMs - I'm not incontinent, but I feel that the muscle is slightly looser now. If I really need to go to the bathroom, I need to be near a bathroom - it's not as easy to "hold in" as it would have previously been. But the only other option would have been living with setons for life and I didn't want to do that so I have no complaints. When I told my doc that I need to re-clean, she said - we all do! So it sounds like I may even just be noticing this more now because of the surgeries and being fixated on the area.
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Re: Risks and benefits of surgery stats?

Postby Asore Arseagain » 14 Jul 2014, 15:23

Thanks Diamond2-

Think I'm beginning to see that rather than stats the risks are v individual....

I did seem to get the wrong end of the stick before surgery..... I thought that a fistulotomy was safer than a cutting seton, in terms of continence preservation, but my surgeon told me it was the other way around.

And yes.....I think I now realise that all those years of just wiping with loo paper, I (and the rest of non bottom prob peoples) probably really wasn't v clean down there!! I think we (people with bottom probs) all now know what it takes to get thoroughly clean!!
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