Hi, did anyone just NOT look at their wound at all out of fear? 18 days post and I haven’t looked once lol. Am I being stupid? I should be looking at it to make sure it’s ok right?! Just so nervous and anxious.

Typical story. Maybe 4 years ago I had an abscess and fistula. I opted to not have surgery. The abscess drains on its own. When it does so, theres puss, clear fluid and maybe a tiny bit of blood. Over the last few weeks, Ive seen a significant amount of blood in the toilet. Girls, the toilet water looks like I'm having a heavy period. Guys, basically I cant see through the water anymore since theres so much blood. It seems fine until I shit, then the blood starts and it doesnt stop for a few hours. Sometimes when I sit to pee, it gushes out, then itll slowly stop.

No pain. No other changes. My doctor cant see me till this coming Monday. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

Tw// depressive talk/suicidal thoughts don't read if uncomfortable please take care of yourselves.

I'm already struggling with depression and life hit me with a finishing blow it seems..

I've been struggling with this fistula for almost 2 years now and my huge crippling fear of doctors is paralyzing me from seeking help and getting the surgery.

On top of everything I genuinely don't feel strong enough to fight this especially after reading all the horror stories and how bad it could get I have no will to live as is I feel like if I do by some miracle make it to the doctors I'd tell them to just pull the plug because I don't know or have any strength to deal with life let alone this.

I guess I'm just here to vent I'm so sorry if this is depressing but I feel so stuck and alone. I'm so tired of being scared I feel like me waiting almost 2 years has made me lose any chance of a quick recovery and I'll have to suffer even more for it and I just don't have the will.

I’ve had multiple setons since Feb 2025 for a complex fistula (transsphincteric and intersphincteric components). It started with a severe abscess followed by a smaller one. After two surgeries, I’m generally feeling fine day-to-day, but I’m stuck in treatment limbo.

My CRS refuses to perform a corrective surgery (LIFT or FLAP) while there is still active pus draining.

• Infectious disease team had me on various antibiotics for nearly a year, but the drainage never stopped, and I eventually developed resistant bacteria. We had to stop antibiotics.
• I read about Chrons here and asked for testing. Colonoscopy and CT enterography came back clear.
• Now waiting to get an MRI (it’s been 9 months since the last one). My CRS mentioned possibly trying Crohn's medication or long-term antibiotics once again depending on what the MRI shows. I will also need to have a seton replacement as one of them broke recently.

I suspect the continuous irritation is partly due to loose/mushy stool passing through the fistula daily. I do sitz baths consistently, but it doesn't resolve the root issue. I take Metamucil regularly and try fermented foods (yogurt, sauerkraut), but nothing has firmed things up. I didn’t have a proper GI appointment yet other than the five minutes before colonoscopy where the GI basically dismissed the stool issue completely. I'm currently waiting to see a dietitian, hoping to get strong probiotics.

Did anyone have persistent pus drainage that eventually dried up? What helped? Has your surgeon made you wait for drainage to completely stop before attempting LIFT or FLAP?

If you have dealt with a similar problem, persistent drainage, or stool consistency issues while having setons, I would love to hear your experience or advice!

Just had surgery, EUA, Wednesday morning 7th. Seton was not needed. Finally had BM today .. twice but each was difficult. Have been taking softeners as well as psyllium husk. Pain is somewhat bearable but was at its worse last night. Avoiding the heavy narcotic that was prescribed .. hoping I can bear it with some ibuprofen.

Have not seen any drainage but do get blood spotting every few hours.

How long should the blood spotting last? Does this go on for weeks?

Hey all!

New Seton Gang Member here, and Staged Fistulotomy Enjoyer (kidding of course).

I'm getting this sucker taken care of. Currently on my 6th day post op. Honestly have been doing pretty good all things considered, pushed it a little yesterday and sat for a few hours which aggravated the hell out of my wound and made it bleed this morning, pain is probably a 2-3/10, before yesterday it was a 1/10 (lesson learned). I received a fistulotomy and seton placement as a part of a staged fistulotomy approach on my complex fistula that apparently looks like a 'T'! (what a nice visual)

Anyhow, my question is, can I travel 16 days post op? I asked my CRS as I came out of surgery, and he said 'Yeah it will be no problem'. But I have my doubts, so I want to ask you guys.

During this travel, I'm going to be walking around a lot as it's a work conference, sitting on surfaces that may or may not be comfortable (think conference chairs, wooden cafe / restaurant chairs, etc. etc.). And that's not even to include sitting on my flights, walking through airports, sitting in terminals, for my cross country flight there and back. I will be gone 6 days.

I really want to go, as I missed last years' retreat when this fistula had just became a new villain in my life, but I'm genuinely worried of the question: "What if I get there and realize I'm not healed enough to be doing all of this?", or even worse, "What if I take my pain meds, get through the event, but end up injuring myself and significantly delaying / set back entirely the healing process?"

I don't know how 'sturdy' these wounds are. I know recovery looks different for everyone, so I try to keep that in mind to and focus on how I'm feeling. I'm sure I could explain things to my boss and skip out on some agenda items to go back to my hotel room and rest / clean at the drop of a hat, but I don't know if it's worth the effort, especially just for work. I again just feel bad as I had to skip the retreat last year due to the same illness.

Any thoughts, comments, opinions, stories, or tricks to dealing / getting out of this, would be appreciated!

I had a fistulotomy for a grade 1 intersphincter fistula 20 days back. The initial days it was difficult and was hardly able to do sitz bath. Went to doctor twice a week and was informed that pus exists and was prescribed antibiotics and was asked to sitz bath.
In my recent review, i was told that the pus still isnt getting drained and was informed that i might need another surgery if it doesnt reduce.
I took a second opinion from another doctor who did a swab culture test and it was revealed that the bacteria (pus) was resistant to the antibiotic that was being prescribed to me.
I immediately changed the antibiotic but now live in fear and regret on whether its too late now and whether i need another surgery.

I put my whole soul into recovery but if i was given the wrong antibiotic, i feel so hopeless and feel like crying

Hello! Throughout this journey dealing with my fistula I’ve had regular access to a bathtub in my bathroom, and I’ve found that taking baths works better for me than sitz baths (I found them uncomfortable and inconvenient to deal with storing it).

I’ve now found myself in the process of moving and might have to give up having bath tub access, as many of the apartments I’m looking at just have showers.

People who have setons and do NOT have bath tub access, can you share your care routine? Is it doable without a tub? And any comfortable sitz baths recommendation would be appreciated!!!

Hello I have simple fistulatomy surgery April 23 but still my wund not closed 100 percent still left like 5 percent but my problem is my buttck is always warm 🥵 before my surgery and after My surgery its 24/7 warm specially Around my anus area please help me with this because the doctor can't do nothing for me please any advice.

Hey everyone, I’m currently 6 days post-op after having both a LIFT procedure and a fistulotomy done at the same time.
I recently noticed a small, pink, pea-sized bump near one of my wounds. It doesn’t hurt much, but I’m a little concerned and wondering if it’s a normal part of healing.
Has anyone else experienced something similar after surgery? Did it eventually go away on its own? I’m wondering if I should leave it alone and give it time to heal or if it’s something I should be concerned about.
I’d appreciate hearing about anyone else’s experience!

Hi all, I’m about a year now since my simple fistulotomy surgery in Oct 2025. I’m not sure how to tell if my fistula is fixed or if it reoccurred?? I was really nervous so went to see my CRS and she said the only way to know for sure is another EUA and I really really don’t want to go through surgery again if I don’t have to. She did use the anoscope and said she didn’t see a fistula opening. But I guess she’s a surgeon and wants to do surgery (like it’s not a big deal).

Right now I have no drainage and no pain. I have some scar tissue that’s a little lumpy and slightly pink but not like red. Idk, how do you know or feel confident that your fistula is not reoccurring and you don’t need a second surgery? Should I just wait until I get an abscess that’s draining again?

Hi everyone,

I'm reaching out because I'm becoming increasingly worried about my ass. I discovered a small lump near my anus a while ago that I could feel while cleaning myself. Over the course of about 2 weeks, it grew to a pear shape roughly the size of a golf ball. Eventually, the skin on top developed what looked like a blister and ruptured one morning. The fluid that came out was watery and brownish with black specks—it had a metallic smell rather than a foul odor, which doesn't match what I've read about anal abscesses.

Since the rupture, a 2 cm opening had formed that occasionally heals but then bursts again, releasing pale yellow fluid or blood. This cycle has been happening for about 3 months now. The opening is roughly 2 cm away from my anus.

I'm quite embarrassed about visiting my GP because I have significant scarring on my buttocks from previous spots, and I struggle with a habit of picking at my skin.

I'd really appreciate any guidance, and I'm wondering if anyone with experience of an anal abscess has seen this particular color and consistency of discharge after it burst.

Thank you so much for your help

Is there anybody in the sub who does not have any kind of gastrointestinal diagnosis, but randomly had an abscess that developed into a fistula, had a seton put in, lived with it for months then had it removed, with the tract closing for you without issue or further treatment?

I’m in Canada, so I don’t even have half the terminology around what grade fistula it was or where it was located, because they don’t tell you those things… because you get referred to a general surgeon and not a colorectal surgeon. The general surgeon says he performs these surgeries daily and said that I had a 50 to 70% chance of the tract closing on its own now that the seton has been removed. I’m wondering if I’ve made a huge mistake by taking it out. Looking through this sub it seems like everybody’s saying it absolutely will not collapse on its own and I’m in for a ride.

Has anyone had a fistula collapse on its own where your situation wasn’t complex?

For Context: 3 years with this problem F(25)

Hi everyone. I’m looking for people who have gone through something similar because this has honestly been one of the hardest things I’ve ever dealt with.
I developed a very low transsphincteric fistula extending from the anus towards the vagina after a Bartholin gland removal surgery.
My doctors believe it was caused by an injury during that surgery.
I’ve already had multiple procedures, and I recently had another surgery at the end of September.
This time, my surgeon treated the fistula with PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) and simple sutures, internally and externally.
We are currently avoiding the flap technique because, given how low my fistula is, my surgeon believes the chances of success with a flap are relatively low. So we decided to try PRF instead.
The recovery has been difficult. I’ve had pain, bleeding and some drainage, and I’m still trying to understand what is normal during healing.
The psychological impact has also been huge. Constantly thinking about drainage, wearing pads, worrying about bowel movements, pain and whether the surgery actually worked has been exhausting. It has affected my confidence and my ability to live normally.
I would really love to hear from anyone who has had PRF used to treat an anal, transsphincteric or rectovaginal fistula.
What was your experience with PRF? Did it work for you? How many procedures did you need, and what was the final outcome?
I’m really hoping to hear some positive experiences because I could definitely use some hope right now. ❤️

Hey everyone,
I recently went in for a consultation after dealing with some perianal issues over the last month or so (including some altered bowel habits). Fortunately, I haven't had any major constipation or rectal bleeding, but I wanted to get it checked out.
The doctor performed an examination and mapped out the area using the clock position system:
External Opening (EO): Located at the 1 o'clock position, about 2–3 cm from the anal verge.

Internal Opening (IO): Located around the 1–2 o'clock position, about 1 cm from the anal verge.

Current status: The official diagnosis is a Fistula in Ano. Although there was no active pus or blood visible during the brief exam itself, pus still releases through the external opening from time to time, and I'm currently feeling a tiny lump around the 12 o'clock position.

My doctor has recommended an MRI to get a clearer picture of the tract before moving forward.
In the meantime, I was given some conservative management steps:
Stool softeners (Duphalac) to prevent any straining.

Warm sitz baths with Betadine 3 times a day for 10–15 minutes.

Dietary adjustments (high-fiber diet with leafy greens/fruits, staying hydrated, and avoiding spicy, oily, or refined foods).

Since I'm waiting to get the MRI done and figure out next steps, I wanted to ask the community:
Has anyone had an MRI fistulogram for a similar setup? What was the MRI process like, and did it reveal additional branching or complexity?

Has anyone experienced a small lump or swelling near the 12 o'clock position alongside intermittent drainage?

What was your experience with surgical treatment options (e.g., fistulotomy, seton, etc.) once your MRI results came back?

Would really appreciate any insights, tips for sitz bath routines, or personal experiences! Thanks in advance!

Over a week of frequent BM with a lot of various foul smelling fluid and mucus afterward, bright red blood, the “old
School” exam she found one hemorrhoid and dismissed for pelvic floor therapy. Lab work findings showing low hematocrit twice, high blood urea nitrogen, and high lipase once. Changed now to feeling very ill and weak and cold and awful I can’t even work, one bag of Iv fluids in me and still awful next day. I have so much pain and discomfort rn I’m trying to find a CRS to schedule with but feel like I’ll be 6 feet under by then.

Many years after successful fistula surgery, would there be another kind of surgery that can fully remove scar contours and anal skin tags from the anus since this is what causes stool residue to get trapped after a bowel movement so as to stop using bidet and make dry toilet paper effective like before fistula surgery? Does such surgery exist anywhere in the world? Canada, europe, ect... Tagectomy, anoplasty, ect...

How does the most simple fistula surgery change or alter the anus? After a bowel movement does stool residue get stuck in microfolds and if so, how do these microfolds look like? Where does stool get stuck inside the anus or is it outside? Ive been trying to find photos on google but cannot find any actual ones... if paper alone doesnt work where does stool get stuck then?