Abscess, fistula - Bowel Disorders Message Board

christine777 · 07-20-2003, 03:30 PM

Has anyone experienced having an anal abscess? What did you do before going to the doctor, did you need surgery, how was the surgery and mostly how long was the recovery time. thank you

auntjudyg · 07-21-2003, 08:52 AM

I had an abscess in my sigmoid colon; so it was a little farther up than the anus. The answers to most of your question depend on how big the abscess is; is it leaking internally; and other factors.

I am not typical, I don't think, because my situation was really far along before it was diagnosed, and infection had spread all over the place. But yes, I had surgery; recovery was several months.

christine777 · 07-22-2003, 07:32 PM

I really would like to know more about your situation. I just had surgery for a fissure, abscess and fistula. The next procedure the doctor says i need is a colonoscopy to see why these occurred.
I am starting my 3rd week of recovery. I wonder how long for complete recovery and will i be able to function as i did prior. i was very physically fit. Now of course i can do nothing until i heal. Walking is even a small chore right now.
Any small detail i would appreciate. How did it come that your abscess was where it was? Im afraid because the doctor said this just doesnt happen to normal people.
thank you and hope you are well.

auntjudyg · 07-23-2003, 12:57 PM

#@*&)@!!!! That's not what I wrote!!! I wrote a long post . . . I can't believe it got messed up!!!

Anyway, briefly, what seems to have happened with me is that I had diverticulosis. It developed into diverticulitis and got infected. Somewhere along the way this nurtured the development of the abscess. Then, all or one of these factors lead to a fistula between my colon and bladder.

I had three operations over the course of five months and there were post-op complications twice.

If they cut into the abdominal muscles, standard wisdom is recovery will be 6 to 8 weeks to get back to most activities. For a couple of months you will probably get tired more easily, find you can't lift as much, etc., but once this passes, you may find you actually feel better than before (having gotten rid of the infection inside). Within the next week you ought to start noticing more of a difference. My sister-in-law advised me not to look at progress day-by-day, because it can be a bumpy road; but to look at things week-to-week.

Hope things turn around soon!

projapoti · 07-24-2003, 02:25 PM

Auntjudyg....I'm so sorry that you had to go through that. You said that you had a rectovescicular fistula (i.e. between your rectum/colon and your bladder. Did you at any point experience very foul smelling urine? I know it's kinda gross, but that (feculent urine) is supposedly a big symptom of that problem.

Also, do you suffer from Crohn's or ulcerative colitis?