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Has anyone had personal experience with rectovaginal fistula repair?

Ostomy | Last Active: Dec 9, 2023 | Replies (59)
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@blinken

Thank you for your suggestions, Colleen. I desperately wish we were closer to a Mayo facility. At our age and condition, a trip to either LaCrosse or Rochester is beyond our capability. I will have to continue my search with a closer destination. Milwaukee area would be difficult for us but we could do it. Green Bay would be easier for us, Appleton, Neenah, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac all familiar and doable for us. I will continue my search. I see the recommendations for Urogynecologists and will seek out someone closer to us. As it is, I currently have a procedure scheduled for a surgeon with specialization in colon/rectal issues.

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Replies to "Thank you for your suggestions, Colleen. I desperately wish we were closer to a Mayo facility...."
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Dec 21, 2020

Hello @blinken,

I'm glad to hear that you have a procedure scheduled with a specialist in colon/rectal issues. I hope that helps. When will this procedure be done?

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mahoney | @mahoney | Sep 29, 2021

I had surgery to repair a rectalvaginal fistula. I never knew I had a problem until diarrhea started spewing out of my vagina. The cause was diverticulitis that had blown a hole in my colon; however, I didn’t know until after a very long surgery. They removed 1/3 of my colon which resulted in colostomy. I went septic the next day, my heart had to be restarted and was in ICU a week. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the surgeons also severed my left utter. After I healed, all I wanted was a reversal. Instead of a reversal, 3 months later I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a bilateral mastectomy followed by chemo.

I went to Mayo in Jacksonville and my left kidney was full of waste. Due to my utter being severed, it couldn’t drain to my bladder. They ordered a CT scan and my left kidney was so full, not contrast could go in. So I’ve got a pouch in the front and great doctors drilled a hole in my back to my left kidney and I have a bag in the back to drain the urine from my kidney.

So here’s where I am. In 2 1/2 weeks I have a team of excellent surgeons at Mayo who are going to fix my huge hernia that encompasses my entire abdominal wall, hopefully successfully reconnect my colon and remove my left kidney as I went into renal failure due to the utter being severed. I can not wait to be free from pouches and tubes.

Oh and by the way, the fistula repair was a success. He did it robotically.

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