Try to take it easy. I just got back from my 3 month followup appointment and my doctor said I'm all healed and it looks normal so I don't have to see her anymore. I would recommend to anyone to do nothing after getting the plug put in for atleast two weeks. I was lucky and had off for a month before I went back to work after the surgery. If you are really concerned call your doctor and make an appointment. Good luck to you all!

Congratulations Bunny. Fistula free life! I'm still not quite sure what is going on with mine. I see the nurse again tomorrow. I see my surgeon next week and am going to ask for an MRI scan. I want to know if there is a pocket of something lurking. Hopefully not. I wasn't sure if I felt some air come down the fistula this morning which is not good if I did. I was half asleep so really not sure if it was from hole or from my anus. The joys of this stuff! It's 6 weeks since my plug op today. I have pretty much been bed resting since - no stairs, only the odd walk through to the rooms next door so I feel I have given it every chance I can.

Well I'm really not so sure how things are going now. Yesterday i notice that the outside opening had closed and it looked like an abscess started to form again. But then the next day it started draining again. To me this is not a good sign. I don't see the surgeon again for another 2 weeks. I know these can drain for a while but the thought of this failing drives me crazy. I guess I can only wait and see what happens. I hope things work out for you 6 weeks is a long time but I agree that you have to give it every chance so it doesn't fail.

TRH - any chance you could bring your follow up appointment forward? I would try to stay positive. You seem to have had positive signs otherwise. It may be that the external opening is closing up too quickly and needs your doc to open it up a bit (e.g. a quick sweep with a silver nitrate stick). I have heard of one lady who kept draining for months but kept healing over on the outside, her doc kept treating the external opening to allow it to drain and after 7 months she healed completely inside and out.
I've seen my GP this morning - she's advised me to stick with the antibiotics I'm on until I see my surgeon on Tuesday. The area doesn't feel so bad today, there isn't that much drainage - could be good or could be that it's gathering in some hidden pocket. I also think I may have felt air go into my buttock rather than down the usual route a couple of times - hope not but possiby. 6 weeks is a long time - it's been quite a bizarre time really! It was lovely to get out today - just to see the doc and plan to go out for a few lunches and things over the next week - I feel quite tired doing things now! I'm lucky that I have another 6 weeks signed off work - not so good for the bank balance but gives me time. Good luck and I hope it is still healing well - maybe too well and just needs slowing down a bit on the outside!

I had many follow ups since I posted last. I'm still draining and he is talking about doing another plug. He said there was an updated version of the plug that is a little better then the other one he put in. Has anyone heard of this?

Drainage seton placed on June 5 and, so far, no major concerns. I have had minimal pain after each bowel movement (today was the first day with absolutely no pain) and insignificant amounts of drainage so far. My doctor has indicated that the seton will stay in place for three (3) months and then I'll go back in for my AFP.

Since I am single right now, my only concern is how best to tell prospective "significant others" about the seton. My personality is to be totally upfront and honest, but this is the first time I've been in this kind of situation before. I've told friends in a very candid and funny way, but not sure how best to communicate to love interests. Any suggestions?

Julia, Setons aren't bad. I had one put in last July when my buttock burst! I had it until Feb when I had the plug but that was unsuccessful so I have a draining seton again now and will have it for at least 12 months as they're hoping a little tract going into the levator ani (pelvic floor) will heal up then they can deal with the tract that comes through the sphincters and out of my buttock.

I too am single and haven't cracked the what to tell prospective partners bit. Although it has helped that I haven't really had any prospective partners! I have been kind of clinging to an ex which is a bad idea but hedging my bets in case anyone new I meet freaks out! I couldn't even tell my ex the detail. That said I think it has to come out but when you know them enough to think they wont run a mile. I always think this would be so much easier to deal with if I were in a relationship. I get drainage all the time so always have a gauze pad or two wedged in my bum crack. I have used tape to secure it in the past and when I slept with my ex I bought crotchless knickers to avoid him seeing the bandage! That is not the way I'd like my future to be though.

Hi.....Just been looking on the net for people who's fistula plug has failed! I had my 3rd lot of surgery on Friday the 13th (may I add) and guess what? The plug decided to make an appearance down the loo this morning obviously di dnot like it up there hey? I am currently waiting for my surgeon to call me back to discuss having my beloved loose seton put back in! I am feeling needless to say a bit disheartened!! If I have to try and explain what a fistula is to anyone else I think I might scream! The people who make me the craziest are the ones who say "they still have'nt sorted it out yet then? what is it again?" raaaaa. Hahahahaha I have to laugh really it could be worse it could be on my face right slap bang in the middle of my forehead oozing and smelly Sorry I do say all this with tongue in cheek Im not that much of a negative person normally I suppose I really thought the plug would work and I would not have to worry anymore but I suppose if life hands you lemons I suppose you have to make lemonade! I would love some replies to make me smile at the moment I feel like the only person with this annoying little blighter xxxx lots of love n hugs Sarah from the (UK)

Thanks to RCF and Sarah (both from the UK it seems!)...you both made me smile and a bit braver about telling others about the seton. My friends all know about it, and I just candidly told them "I have plumbing problems and, for now, have this rubber band hanging out of my arse." I guess the philosophy here is that one may want to wait to be intimate until such time as one is comfortble having the seton discussion. Not a bad argument for waiting a bit under any circumstances now that I think of it. If I can't tell someone the details, maybe we're just not at that point in the relationship. My mother would be so proud (ha)!

Hi Julia!

You also made me smile!!! I never used to be so open about it but I cant be bothered to beat around the bush anymore to be honest. I get great pleasure in seeing peoples faces and there polite responses... when really they want to say WTF???

My friends have all been really great, but they don't really have to deal with the reality of the situation...Some of them have actually said, "WTF," which I appreciate, because I pretty much say it on a daily basis. I'm extremely lucky to have a great doctor here in Philadelphia...he has a wonderful sense of humor and, prior to my seton placement surgery, actually got up on the operating table to show me the position he needed me to be in...seeing him do that made it much easier for me to, ahem, assume the position.

I was actually put under general anesthetic when I had my 1st seton put in. This was taken out so that they could try the plug however as you know this failed. My surgeon now wants to try the glue but until I get a surgery date I have nothing there so I am really worried this will become infected and I get another abscess which I really dont want. I am also suffering today because one of the blood vessels below the external end of the fistula has burst no sure whether this is a pile or not??? Its very painful though. So do you still have your seton in place? Are they going to try any other surgery? I am getting worried because I am supposed to be seeing Bon Jovi in concert next week and I really do think this is going to ruin it FINGERS CROSSED!! Do you think JON will still want to marry me if he knows I have 2 butt holes??? Maybe we wont tell him that!! xxxx Keep in touch!

Sorry Julia my bad after looking back I can see you have just had your seton put in to be honest I think I will end up having my seton for good now...its not so bad you totally forget it is there most of the time!! I was afraid like you to go to the toilet after having it in I thought my insides might fall out!! But I got so used to it!! The only down side is that I could only really use baby wet wipes as they were the only things that kept the area really clean it was hard trying to clean yourself with just toilet tissue x I only have one more option left for me then if that fails I will have my seton for life because my fistula track is so close to the sphincter there is too much of a risk of me becoming incontinent to risk anything else x x x x

Hi Sarah,

I was under general as well, but they had me walk into the operating room so that I could get in the proper position. So far, I've not had too much pain or discomfort. My primary concern is that the plug (which will be put in 3 months from now) will fail, and I'll have this darn rubber band for life. The external opening of my fistual tract is actually between the anus and vaginal opening, but about two inches into the soft tissue (almost the butt cheek, but not quite) to the left. I can deal with it (I use the wipes as well, and they're not so bad). The only real complicating factor is that the fistula originally presented as an anterior horseshoe type with no external opening (just felt a lump under the skin on both sides)...so my primary care doctor had no idea that there was a fistula...the right side of the horseshoe has closed on its own, but they opened up the left to place the seton. Just worried the other side will now open back up.

I hope that you're feeling well enough for Bon Jovi...Just take some meds and try to forget the situation...it's hard when there is pain (sometimes it really burns and I feel like a baby with diaper rash), but I'm refusing to give up vacations or concerts for this thing! Every time I get down about it, I think of one of my girlfriends who has been in a wheel chair since age 15 (paralyzed from the waist down). She's lived alone in Paris, graduated from law school, worked for a top firm in Philly, got married two years ago and had her first baby last year. So, for me, my little rubber band is just a minor pain in the *ss! Have a blast with Jon (he seems nice, so I don't think he'll mind)!

Thank you so much for your support! You know what? I AM GOING TO GO TO THAT CONCERT NOW!!!!! I will just take my meds with me and deal with the consequences after ...... Wow your friend is an inspiration!! x Yeah they originally said I had piles it was'nt until I was in total agony and rushed to hospital and hooked up on a drip and Morphine till they realised it was an abscess. They failed to pack the abscess and just packed it for 2 days only this caused it to heal on the outside only. Which then resulted in my little buddy (fistula) to form! I then had my 1st seton inserted!! To be honest I actually got my life back on track after the seton was put in because after a few weeks it was not sore and I could not feel a thing. My fistula is on the left hand side and the external end of the fistula is about 4 or 5 centimetres from my butt hole ......... I am just worried because there seems to be a broken blood vessel below this and this seems to be what is causing the aching sore feeling. I will call my surgeon I think and discuss on Monday if it is not any better! I hope you are feeling a bit better now and dont worry about the plug failing everyone is different they told me that mine will probably fail as I only have a short track! Some people say it is 50-60% effective however others have said it is 70-80% effective so it is worth a try because if it works that is fantastic!! I will say now though you literally have to keep your feet up and do absolutley nothing for 2 weeks if not longer. So you will have to find someone to look after you x