Yesterday i had a seton drain put in my perianal fistula that i've had since march..it's pretty uncomfortable .. can it fall out? or like if i pull on it can it rip through my skin? is fistula juice getting trapped in there too? like usually wiping i'd have to wipe forever to get all the "crap" out and its not really there too much...can the seton drain lesson output? i read somewhere it can...how well do the fistula plugs work? i really want this gone before senior prom and stuff..:/

Thanks
Alicia

sorry it's been awhile guys!

Alicia,
I had two seton drains put in last October for two separate fistulas. I remember the first few days were REALLY uncomfortable. Sitz baths, as hot as you can stand them, really seemed to help. The discomfort lessened with time...I finally had them removed last month and am excited I can wear thongs comfortably again! I thought I noticed a bit more drainage when I had the setons...cottonelle flushable wet wipes were a godsend...really helps get the area around the drains clean. Taking advil the first week or two helped dull the pain a little, too.
Hope this helps!

I have had a seton drain for a perianal fistula since August. I have pretty much constant drainage from it. I have to wear pantyliners and usually change them 1-2 times per day. Some days are better than other, depending on what I eat. I'm also on Humira. I don't believe a seton is a plug. It is a string that keeps the fistuala track open to prevent infection/abscess.

I've had a seton in for almost 4 years now. Every once in a while my surgeon will switch it out and make it tighter in hopes of the abcess closing on it's own.

I always wear a pantiliner because of the drainage so I don't ruin my pants, etc.

Good luck.

Hi ladies, I'm in the same boat and currently have a seton drain. I cannot believe that you would keep one for 4 years!!!!!!! Is there nothing else they can do? I would think that if it didn't heal within a few months then they would be trying something else. Am I naive? I honestly don't think I can let this drag on for years. It's almost been 1 year since the first abcess problem and I'm already considering a permanent ostomy. With all of the exams under anaesthetic to find it, now this seton drain and a further procedure down the road to get the fistula plug I'm just about at my wits end already. When I saw that you'd had this drain for 4 years my heart just plummeted. How can you cope?