Third Opinion

I had an appointment at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA in January. Last week, they called and asked if I could come in today. Perfect timing.

I saw my surgeon last week after I went to Boston. He did not recommend doing the gracilis flap surgery. He said he would CONSIDER it for a last option. He said that he would a similar surgery to the first one he did but he would go up through my vagina and try that way. My surgeon said that he was very interested in what the female surgeon at Lahey Clinic was going to say-he values her opinion greatly.

The female surgeon I met with was very nice. She had a great personality. She said she knew my surgeon and his partners and that she had respect for them and thought highly of them and their work. She went straight to work. She said she already read my chart and looked at my pouch studies. She asked me a few questions and said that she wanted to do an exam herself and see the fistula on camera.

I went into the exam room and the next 10 minutes were horrible. I won't give details but fingers and scopes were going in places I didn't want them to. It was very painful and uncomfortable but I knew it had to be done. After the exam, she spoke with my parents and I about her findings and options for surgery.

She said that she would recommend doing a trans-perineum repair of the rectovaginal fistula. It's hard to explain but she wouldn't enter through the anus or vagina. She would make an incision right on top of the fistula and repair it that way somehow. She said a 1-2 day hospital stay and about 4-6 week recovery. (Not bad). She continued to explain and draw a picture of it. It's hard to explain for others to understand. She was worried that if they did the surgery through the vagina that it would cause scar tissue and issues with sex and pregnancy later on in life. 

She said that this surgery is about a 75% success rate. She said that she would send my surgeon the paperwork and call him to discuss it. She seemed very confident in this surgery and that it would work. Of course, there is a chance it wouldn't. It was nice to hear a female perspective on these surgeries. I called my surgeon and made an appointment to see him after New Years so that we can talk about the next move and see if he does these surgeries often. 

Happy Holidays!