If it's draining, it should be fine. The surgeon would not anything else, except maybe widen the hole. Warm baths 2-3 times a day will help it drain and keep open and draining. The antibiotic won't do much other than keep it from speading. The drainage is key.

Jan

Oh good. It isn't draining anything but bright red blood that I can tell. I was a little concerned with that. Also, does it mean that the abscess will (or already has) turn into a fistula? She is so upset that it started draining because she was told that an open fistula would take a very long time to heal if it ever does.

I had a huge one just cleaned out in the ER. The 2nd one they can't seem to find yet. Have been packing this sucker for 2 weeks. I got very sick, fevers, extreme pain. Mine is where my rectal stump was. Not sure why Flagyl was given? I was told they never use that with an abscess. I personally can't take many antibiotics due to C.diff issues.

The type of antibiotic depends on what the bacteria is (or suspected bacteria), not the fact it is an abscess, because it can be a variety of bacteria, both aerobic and anaerobic.

With my presacral abscess I was on three different IV antibiotics.

Are they sure this is not a bartholin's cyst/abscess? The location sure sounds like one. The fact that it is draining does not mean it is fistulized, particularly if it was close to the skin. A fistula is more of a long narrow tract.

Jan

yes, I've been on more than 5 types of antibiotics for abscesses. If they are doing things correctly, they involve infectious disease docs and determine exactly what the bacteria is so they know what drug will attack it.

As for cdiff - it doesn't prevent you from taking antibiotics. It just means you have to be sure you are checked for cdiff. It is pretty important to get the abscesses cleared up. In my case - they slam whatever drugs they need to into me, and then if I have problems - they go for the cdiff test. And then add on more drugs!

I took my daughter to our local ER on Wednesday because she was still in so much pain after her abscess perforated. As it turned out, her abscess had closed up. They gave her an ultrasound which showed she still had fluid in it so they did another CT. The CT showed fluid and an air bubble. Now we are thinking it's a fistula. When we got home she said she felt like air came out of her vagina and then pain at the abscess site.

She has an appt with a colorectal surgeon Monday afternoon. What questions should we ask him?

Karen