Hi All - I had RVF a year and 1/2 ago. I am 99% fine now. I say the 1% because it still hurts when hubby and I have intercourse. It happened during labor, I am 5 foot and baby was 7lbs 13 oz...an awful labor, induced, it goes on an on. I got the corrective surgery 5 wees after I had my little one. What an awful maternity time. I was in more pain from that surgery than recovery from the labor. The surgery was using skin I already had - so a flap repair. At first i coudl tell there was air coming through afterwards and I feared it did not work...and perhaps time to time (every few months) i think air may have passed the wrong way again, but could be my imagination.
I live in the Boston area and 100% would refer anyone in question to Cambridge, MA...Dr. Hota. SHe was amazing and though she mentioned this was HIGHLY uncommon, they were fantastic and I feel like a human again. I got teared up reading everyone's thoughts because I too was there thinking I'd never be normal again....but I am. SO there is hope. When i first found this site I read only bad outcomes, but believe me, there are good ones...during recovery #1 thing is to NOT LIFT ANYTHING....if possible that is, but take it easy and let it heal for at least 4-5 weeks...esp those first two weeks. GOod luck...I continue to check in and give positive feedback so everyone is not alone. btw - odd there are so many of us but no real help site or anything? Good luck all. :0)
I live in the Boston area and 100% would refer anyone in question to Cambridge, MA...Dr. Hota. SHe was amazing and though she mentioned this was HIGHLY uncommon, they were fantastic and I feel like a human again. I got teared up reading everyone's thoughts because I too was there thinking I'd never be normal again....but I am. SO there is hope. When i first found this site I read only bad outcomes, but believe me, there are good ones...during recovery #1 thing is to NOT LIFT ANYTHING....if possible that is, but take it easy and let it heal for at least 4-5 weeks...esp those first two weeks. GOod luck...I continue to check in and give positive feedback so everyone is not alone. btw - odd there are so many of us but no real help site or anything? Good luck all. :0)
Hi! I suffered a 3rd degree tear when delivering my child in Apr. Thought I was recovering well from the surgery till i started passing stool and gas from my vagina. Reading info posted on sites on this RVF condition was terribly distressing and tramatising. Went for surgery to repair this just 3 weeks back and am still passing gas and some liquid stool. Doc says it is because they wound is still healing and the hole has not totally closed. Does anyone know if this is normal? What was the healing process like? How long does it take to heal? Anything that I should watch out for, do or not do? What methods of repair did your doctors use? So sorry for the many questions. Each time I go to the toilet, a thousand and one questions run thru my head and am so worried that I will never receover from this. Any advice would be really really appreciated.. So worried that I would never recover from this condition and the implications on my life and it is heartening to read the replies and success stories..
Hi CJ, I had Martius Graft surgery. Basically they made an incision in my labia, took muscle from that, and used it to help heal the fistula. It is a flap surgery. I did not have a colostomy. The hospital and especially Dr. Fiorica and Maggie, his nurse practitioner, have been so amazing. They have the BEST bedside manner and I would highly highly recommend them. I'm so glad to finally have my life back. Recovery from surgery was hard, but I can't imagine dealing with a fistula forever. My symptoms were very minimal too, the only thing I had was a painful discharge. But so glad to be normal again!
I just want to say thank you for everyone who has posted their stories. Mine is very similar, I had a 3rd degree tear delivering my son, it was a vacuum assisted delivery. The bummer is that I'm not tiny (5'7) and my son was not a huge baby (8 lbs 6 oz). The tear was initially repaired but the sutures dehisced and the rectal mucosa broke down so here I am with a fistula, experiencing all those feelings described by other women on this blog. Being a physician myself almost makes it worse because having seen a lot of worst case scenarios in my profession, you really have to work hard at restraining your imagination from running wild with it. Luckily, I do not have stool incontinence as they have predicted, but there is a side track to my vagina that some of the stool takes when I have a bowel movement. I'm now waiting for repair surgery. I think we do need a support group as one of the women suggested, it is just too tough to live this every day while waiting for repair. thank you all again
I have the same story as you ladies..
suffered a 4th degree tear and now have the joys of a RVF. I have my 6 week f/u next week and am waiting for the referral to a CRS....am hoping for the best and that it can be repaired with the first attempt. Anyone who has had it repaired, what was the recovery process like for you?
Mayg-Did your repair take? I hope so!
suffered a 4th degree tear and now have the joys of a RVF. I have my 6 week f/u next week and am waiting for the referral to a CRS....am hoping for the best and that it can be repaired with the first attempt. Anyone who has had it repaired, what was the recovery process like for you?
Mayg-Did your repair take? I hope so!
I had a RVF after giving birth to my first child - the OB cut way too much (doctors I have seen since say it looks like he stuck one end of the scissors in my rectum, the other in my vagina, and cut) and never sewed up the inside. I had a hole big enough to stick 2 fingers through connecting my rectum and vagina. Large pieces of poop the size of walnuts came out of my vagina for 3 months till I had surgery to repair the fistula. I was so lucky to find an awesome doctor to do the repair - he was one of the nicest doctors I have ever met (and both my parents are doctors) and has a GREAT track record fixing these kind of problems. If anybody reading this is looking for a great surgeon to repair a RFV look up Dr. Garris in Greenville SC. He travels the world teaching people to do these types of repairs, is super nice, and very competent. I am still scared or trusting OBs, but am ready to try for another baby so I am looking for one. My next baby will be C-section - the surgeon who repaired me said that in his experience the tissues after the repair cannot stretch as well, and if they tear during another childbirth the 2nd RVF repair has a lower success rate as the tissue quality is poorer. My aunt is a midwife (and very pro-natural childbirth) and told me that there are 2 ways to approach the next baby - I can have a C-section full of pain and loss at not having a natural childbirth or I can just have a C-section. I opt for the 2nd scenario. I just hope I will not have any problems getting pregnant and carrying to term as a result of the experience (not just because of the RVF - I had cervical tearing and a DNC because the OB who delivered my baby didn't wait for the placenta to deliver naturally - he reached in and scraped it out in pieces with his hands - he left a great deal in there so I also had a DNC a month after my daughter was born)
that sounds aweful!! I have an RVF from 4th degree tearing but I wasn't cut or anything...just lucky!
what kind of surgery did you have? would you say its 100% fixed?
what kind of surgery did you have? would you say its 100% fixed?
i had my son 2006. i am still living with a recot-vaginal fistual. it has caused me to be very insecure at time . during child birth the doctors noticed the vaginal opening was too small so they then attempted to use a vaccum which caused the rvf, as a result of them not suggesting a c-section i am living with this. I layedin my hospital bed for hours after delivery loosing blood because theyre first attempt to correct the fistual had failed and doctors soon realized i had not been stitched up enough. when my son was about 9 months i attempted a repair surgery which failed. this is frustrating and want to live a normal life. having this takes a toll on you as a mother , as a person .
Hello everyone I feel all your pain and suffering. I just got over my 4th surgery concerning the problem of recto-vaginal fistula and this is my final and successful one. I had gone through this problem for almost 3 years. I would have surgery every summer because I was also going to nursing school when this problem developed and it was very devastating. Along with the heavy load of going to school and being away from my husband, meaning taking care of my child alone, here comes another issue that I had to face. As I learned in nursing school, and as what happened to me, most of the women who develop this problem are small women with large children and who get a 4th degree episiotomy. Oh, it was horrible. I would even risk getting so many surgeries just to get rid of that problem!I would cry almost every day. I didn't know at the beginning what I could do. I had to go to my primary physician to get referrals to specialists and the gyn really couldn't do anything about it because she states that "the fistula was too small for her to see." So, I went back to my primary physician so that she could refer me again to another specialist. Finally, I was referred to a colorectal surgeon. I stick with this surgeon to do all my surgeries. Although so many unsuccessful attempts, I felt that he knew what he was doing because of the wonderful explanations and visual aids, so I followed my instict. The only reason why my surgeries failed so many times was because I chose the "least invasive" procedure in the beginning and I wish I hadn't because this problem could have been executed along time ago. I chose the least invasive because it was supposed to be faster recovery and as the name implies, it doesn't involved a lot of manipulation of the tissues. However, because my sphincter muscle was also damaged, the surgery eventually failed, and the fistula plug was expelled out by my body. So I went back and schedule another surgery the following year, 2009. This time, it was the most invasive surgery that had to be performed because the rectum sphincter muscle test, I don't recall the name, suggested that my sphincter muscle was weak and so it had to be repaired along with the flap of the fistula. So for anyone who will be doing the repair make sure you get the sphincter muscle test before you decide on what procedure is best for you because if you do the fistula flap and your sphincter muscle is weak you will still be incontinent from the rectum, therefore, stool will come out from the rectum and it's hard for you to stop, though Kegel exercise may help. Anyway, back to my story, the second surgery consisted of sphincter muscle repair, fistula flap, and an ileostomy to prevent infection from the area of the repair. I had so many follow-ups because the doctor wanted to make sure that the area was healing well, and that infection was prevented, everytime I would go to my appointment, he would put medicine on the area. Then, after 7 months, all the tissues were healed and waiting for the remaining fistula was not beneficial because it could no longer heal on its own. The doctor explained to me that a fistula a size of a pen point was still present. By the way, he told me that it looked like the size of a dime before any surgeries were done, so there's no way that the gyn could have not seen it. Continuing to my story, my colorectal surgeon explained that, I could live with a pen point size fistula, however, I would still get occasional vaginal infection because feces could still pass from the rectum to the vagina. Then, he made me decide about what I wanted to do...one last flap to cover the pen point fistula or closure of my ileostomy and living my life with the pen point size fistula? I chose to have the flap surgery...I thought to myself, "If I did the one last flap repair, it could fail, but I'm still gonna live with close to normal function and if I let this opportunity pass me by, I could live with occasional vaginal infection, and probably regrets of not trying to do more than I could." Therefore, I decided to do one last flap, "maybe, just maybe, this could end all of this." Finally, this year, 2010, July my physician told me that everything is healed and that the closure of ileostomy could finally be performed. October of this year is the final chapter of my pain and suffering because of this problem. I am still recovering from ileostomy closure at this time, but I'll be able to go back to work next month and everything else is going fine. I am glad to regain normal function again. I don't EVER wish this same problem happen to anyone. To all of you, don't ever lose hope. Be patient and be cautious. Follow the doctor's instruction, unless you know that what he/she's telling you makes absolutely no sense. It is costly, I am thankful that my husband is in the military and his military insurance helped fund for the surgeries. I am saying this for those of you who are military wives. Hopefully my experience will enlighten someone's life and give some of you hopes that you will overcome this problem...
Hi everyone, I also have learned that I have Recto-Vaginal Fistula. I had my baby girl August 26th and she weight 9lb 2.6oz and I got 4th degree tear and a week later I was experiencing a weird feeling when I would pass gas, so I mentioned it to my doctor at my first visit after my delivery and she was concerned so she had talked to her colleges and finally let me know that it was RVF. I had no clue what that was, so as I learned a lot about it, I figured it wasn't that bad, but after reading everyone's stories... guess it is that bad :-( I am now 12 weeks post-p and still havn't received the surgery. I was told that I had to wait 6 to 8 weeks so that I heal somewhat and then have the surgery. Can someone please E-mail me and explain there situation and there surgery to me. Im now freaking out about it and my husband is deployed. My E-mail is k_stromain22@yahoo. Thank you so much :-)
I am currently 5 mos postpartum and still waiting to have my RVF healed. I don't seem to have any stool leakage mainly air, but I notice the symptoms more when my period is in town. (like when I wipe backdoor TMI) Does anyone else have that? I am hoping to meet with my colorectal surgeon in the next month or so and can only pray for a successful fix! You are all in my thoughts and know you aren't alone! I check my email frequently so feel free to use this board as a way to get your thoughts out!
~M
~M
im wondering did you ever heal all the way up
Just wanted to give a little encouragement to those suffering from a RVF. I also had a 4th degree laceration from childbirth. I waited until my baby was over a year old to have the repair because I was breastfeeding and didn't want a surgery to dictate when I stopped. It also gave me the time to research the best doctor and hospital to have my surgery at. I had a successful first repair!
During my surgery the doctor actually found two fistuals when I originally diagnosed with just one. I'm going to be honest, you will be down for about 6 weeks, you can't take care of your child, you need to rest and focus on your recovery during that time - you need LOTS OF HELP! The surgery was more painful then recovery from childbirth, but you have the advantage of sleeping which helps your body heal. Just make sure you eat well, keep yourself very clean- I showered every time after a BM. I also took Medimusil two times a day per the doctors orders.
Have faith, you can feel normal again! Do your research, find the right doctor, and dedicate the time to recover. I will pray for all of you and keep you in my thoughts.
During my surgery the doctor actually found two fistuals when I originally diagnosed with just one. I'm going to be honest, you will be down for about 6 weeks, you can't take care of your child, you need to rest and focus on your recovery during that time - you need LOTS OF HELP! The surgery was more painful then recovery from childbirth, but you have the advantage of sleeping which helps your body heal. Just make sure you eat well, keep yourself very clean- I showered every time after a BM. I also took Medimusil two times a day per the doctors orders.
Have faith, you can feel normal again! Do your research, find the right doctor, and dedicate the time to recover. I will pray for all of you and keep you in my thoughts.
I too had a recto-vaginal fistula after delivering 9lb. 4oz. 22 3/4inch beautiful baby. I still have a pinpoint size place that causes problems 20 years later. If ever a doctor tells you it is okay to have a natural birth after an emergency c-section please say NO. That is what I was talked into and they knew how big he was. I didn't, no one told me. My first was only 7lb. 10 oz. 21 inches. After delivery and 4th degree tear that went in other direction of episiotomy I was sewn on the outside but a large area right underneath the skin was missed. I knew something was wrong in the hospital but was ignored and sent home. After first bowel movement came out of vagina I went back, was given sitz baths with betadine (don't do that either!). I was completely burned and couldn't urinate after only 5 baths. And yes, I did exactly as I was told. I demanded to see the doctor in charge who sent me to Los Angeles to have a total reconstruction of both rectum and vagina cavities. It was done after only 2 1/2 months which I think was too early because I ended up back at a different facility a month later, we had started moving around. I had abcess infection up where it couldn't be reached without surgical intervention again. A pinpoint size hole had shot through the walls. This went on for a year, every 3 months having surgery to remove infection and try to repair the hole that shot through where the infection was.
Then I decided to settle down to 1 doctor close to my parents in Louisville Kentucky. It took me 5 tries for anyone to even see me. This doctor put a colostomy on me right away and removed infection like before. I had numerous surgeries, I lost count, but this doctor I love dearly. He never gave up on me and always told me the truth. He kept on trying and finally after 9 months with a colostomy I felt better. Didn't last long though, it seemed to affect my female organs to have all the infection and 2 years of surgery, so I went through 2 more years of removing large cysts and bleeding problems before I finally had a hysterectomy. My doctor told me it was vital in my case to not get pregnant again, that it could ruin me for life. I was down for much longer than the 6 weeks they tell you about.
I still have recurring yeast infections and other related vaginal infections that I had never had before this and still occasionally pass small amounts of air through my vagina. I am currently horrified that I may be having a problem again due to the discharge I have been having, the air and what feels like infection. I hope that all of you have shorter experiences in getting well and I'm glad I'm not alone.
Then I decided to settle down to 1 doctor close to my parents in Louisville Kentucky. It took me 5 tries for anyone to even see me. This doctor put a colostomy on me right away and removed infection like before. I had numerous surgeries, I lost count, but this doctor I love dearly. He never gave up on me and always told me the truth. He kept on trying and finally after 9 months with a colostomy I felt better. Didn't last long though, it seemed to affect my female organs to have all the infection and 2 years of surgery, so I went through 2 more years of removing large cysts and bleeding problems before I finally had a hysterectomy. My doctor told me it was vital in my case to not get pregnant again, that it could ruin me for life. I was down for much longer than the 6 weeks they tell you about.
I still have recurring yeast infections and other related vaginal infections that I had never had before this and still occasionally pass small amounts of air through my vagina. I am currently horrified that I may be having a problem again due to the discharge I have been having, the air and what feels like infection. I hope that all of you have shorter experiences in getting well and I'm glad I'm not alone.
please get a second opinion.....i was told 15 years ago that after the first repair failed i had to wait.... i got a second opinion and the surgery was done within the next week. can't we sue these doctors....i had a c-section with my first one and the second one laid in labor for 27 hours and pushed for 2 hours....had a fith degree rip and tear and they had to also use suction on my daughters head to get her out. i have also had 2 hernia repairs because of the pressure on my stomach lining and now i thing i may need to have the fistula repaired again after 15 years. if they would of taken her c-section like my first child none of this would have happened. my doctor was out of town and i had one that was on call and knew nothing about my history. please get a second opinion!!!!