Hi everyone
I am new here. I don't have a fissure but I have a fistula and this place seems to have a few people who have had experience with them so I am hoping someone out there can help with a couple of concerns I have.
I had a sphincter repair (and a couple of other things) done a few months ago which developed an infection that turned into an abscess and then a perianal fistula. I had a loose seton for a couple of months which was removed during a fistulotomy a few days ago.
My concern is that the wound is leaking a yellow, smelly discharge. It looks just like it has another infection. Is this normal following this kind of surgery and if so, how long should this last? As I am sure so many of you can understand, infection is something I am now almost paranoid about.
Also, when I had the seton I could feel a small, thin, flexible but almost sharp tube that ran directly underneath the seton and slightly protruded out of the external fistula opening. It kind of felt like the end of one of those fibre optic kids torches that changes colour. (Hope that makes sense, it's the only way I can describe it.) A bit of Dr Googling suggested that cords or tubes like that might be part of the fistula or fistula tract. It was hard to find any info on it though. I expected that I would no longer have this after the surgery to remove the fistula however it is still there. It can be felt coming out of the skin right where the seton was and at the opening of the fistulotomy wound. Does this mean that the surgery wasn't done fully or that I still have some form of fistula happening?
I am nervous and have lost a lot of faith after five hospital admissions and four surgeries in just over three months. It feels a bit like I just start getting hope that it will all be behind me and then I have setbacks that hit me.
Thanks in advance to anyone that can offer some insight into this :)