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Has anyone had personal experience with rectovaginal fistula repair?
Ostomy | Last Active: Apr 13 5:50pm | Replies (67)Comment receiving replies
Hi Teresa-it has been awhile since my last update and have good news to report! I transferred my care to a colorectal specialist in Madison,Wi. After a manual exam, and a rectal exam under anesthesia and Barium enema, he too was unable to find a fistula. We then proceeded to schedule the takedown of my colostomy! The procedure went well, I spent 3 days in the hospital and am home again with NO colostomy!!! This procedure was done on 6/14 and I had my post-op visit 2 days ago. My incision is healing well, and I am now able to transition the low fiber diet gradually to a more varied food list and hopefully can return to a somewhat reliable bowel movement schedule! In all, I am so happy to have finally come to this point without the colostomy! I had feared this would never happen and I'm so grateful to have found a surgeon who was willing to take me on. For all those people out there, this all began nearly a year ago so it has been a long, long ordeal, and there were many times when I felt hopeless. But my husband, daughters and friends bolstered me, encouraged me and urged me not to give up. And thanks to Mayo Clinic Connect for giving people like me a place for information, encouragement and suggestions. I have referred several of my friends to this site.
Replies to "Hi Teresa-it has been awhile since my last update and have good news to report! I..."
I know this is an old thread so you might not see it but on the off chance you will, I wanted you to know I'm grateful you posted. It gives me hope. I have a different kind of fistula, enterocutaneous I think is what it's called. The fistula opened my surgery incision. Losing some blood with it but I also have stage 4 cancer so no surgery while I'm doing chemo. 6 months of chemo later and a good PET scan result and I'm scheduled for surgery in a few weeks. I'm scared to death and excited at the same time. I'm soooo ready to be done with the wound pouches. They're like ostomy pouches but bigger. And since it's not an ostomy with a stoma, the intestine is down in the 5-inch wide hole which is in a crease so there's lots of skin exposed. I cover it with moldable barrier rings and strips but the acids eat away at it. So it should be changed in 2 days to keep the skin from burning too much but I have to try for 3 because I can't afford the pouches and I'm battling the insurance company to cover them. Didn't mean to go into all this. Just wanted to say thank you for sharing!
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@blinken It is just great to get your wonderful update. I am so pleased for you that all went well.
Sometimes, it does take a while to find the right doctor in order to get the best answer to a complex health problem. You showed great tenacity and determination in your pursuit of an answer! I'm so glad that you were rewarded with better health.
I know as others read your post that they will be encouraged as well. Wishing you good health in the future. Thanks for referring others to Mayo Connect.
It would be nice to hear from you now and then. Will you post as you are able?