Rectovaginal fistula- self healed?

My doctor said to use pads and desitin cream and wash wash wash and pat dry the area. And sitz bath. And change the pads frequently.

Hello, I had recovaginal fitsula after robotic total hysterectomy. Hoping mine closes on its own too . Your note gives me a lot of hope
Thank you

Hello, thank you for sharing, so you suffered with this for 5 months. Did you notice some days more passing of stool and gas and other days almost none? Did it eventually just stop passing stool , for yes in about how much time? I am very concerned and hope full after reading your post .. It's giving me hope that mine may close by itself .. Amen

Yes mine did. It was a large tear after a hysterectomy. It healed in your months and I could then have a reversal for the colostomy I had to have as an emergency. I know how horrible and worrying this is, it's so very scary but mine DID heal itself. I hope this helps you all. Best wishes to all

How is everyone's fistula? Did you all heal on your own or did you get surgery and it was a success? Please share your follow up stories. I gave birth 5 months ago. My doctor didn't give me an episiotomy. I tore he said 2nd degree. An hour after birth I feel air cmg out of my vaginal area. I didn't think much of it thinking I just pushed a baby out and maybe air trapped. 2 weeks later, I was told by someone with a lot of experience to call the doc and let him know my symptoms. I saw doc. He did nothing. Could not find the fistula with a Tampon dye test. After weeks and weeks of seeing him and hearing nothing different, I went for second opion. The 2nd doc found a microscopic whole and sent me to colo rectal surgeon to confirm that I do have the RVF. The surgeon confirmed under anesthesia. I was told to wait 6 months minimum for surgery and that there is a chance it may not work. Any success stories here? I pass gas on myself. and having a gassy stomach to begin with is a disaster. I'm embarrassed and try to avoid social functions. Happy holidays to me. Anyways. Please share. Thank you all.

Anyone else have an experience with self healing? I have not been diagnosed with an RFV, but am thinking it may be a possibility for me. A few months ago I had a vacuum assisted delivery and 3rd degree episotomy with my 10 lb baby. A couple of weeks after delivery I noticed that when I would pass gas, sometimes it would come out of my vagina. I also notice air coming out sometimes spontaneously but it doesn't make a noise and doesn't seem like gas. My doctor says this air could be completely normal. My doctor found a small dimple in my episiotomy site, but said that he cannot locate a fistula. He says that if I am still noticing this problem in a month that I need to visit with a colo rectal surgeon. Some days I don't have any gas coming out and other days it will happen several times. When it comes out of my vagina it never makes a noise, but I can feel the air coming through. Also, most of the time it happens when I voluntarily pass gas and more often when I'm sitting down. My doctor says he isn't convinced that I have an RFV and could be air "tracking." He said if it is a fistula then it is really small. For those who have had a fistula for years, did it get worse overtime? I read that surgery could complicate things, but I also worry about it getting worse on its own. I have read that wild oregano oil (not safe for breastfeeding), Manukka honey, and lavender oil can be helpful. I am applying Manukka honey once a day and estrogen cream once a day. Also, I have read that with a RFV that feces comes out. Is this always the case and if you do have feces coming out is it obvious or something that could be overlooked? I'm pretty sure there is an issue but my doctor seems to think it may be normal. Thanks in advance for the help.

All I can say is, I'm not alone!!!! How do I find the Facebook privat group? I'm 22 years past the birth of my youngest child and am experiencing more yucky symptoms. I do not want to have surgery. I've known about the fistula for years but was told it was so small that surgery was not recommended at that time. I haven't even discussed recent symptoms with my doctor yet because I'm too upset. Getting older is not for the weak.

Great news. I'm happy you quit smoking and you are better.

I saw these messages in my junk email. I must have put something on this site at one time. I have had rectovaginal fistula since being reconnected after having colon cancer surgery. This has seemed to be a nightmare. I found out I had this in 2012. I had 2 different surgeries to try to place a plug (I believe that is what they called it). Each time this did not work. But believe it or not, in 2016 I started using a probiotic and it seemed to make this thing get better. I haven't medically had it looked at since that last plug surgery that I think was in 2013. I'm always afraid of it getting stretched or torn more by doctors looking at it. So- though prayer, the probiotic and drinking apple cider vinegar with the "mother" in it with water, this thing seems to be better. I can't say that it is completely healed, but I'm not seeming to be passing stool out the wrong way. So it seems to at least be preventing this from happening. I'm praying to be healed naturally. I'm not willing to have this corrected by major surgery so that I would have to be on a bag the rest of my life and lose the natural elimination that I have now.

Can I join the group?

Hi I don't know if this thread is still active but wanted to share my experience too. I had a full abdominal hysterectomy in August last year and two weeks post op I began passing gas and stool from my vaginal. After various tests including CT scan i was diagnosed with a high rectovaginal fistula. This was very upsetting. With the advice of my consultant a conservative approach was taken and I began using oestrogen vaginal tablets, a month course of antibiotics and changed my diet and kept a food diary and diary of symptoms. Was advised to lower fibre intake. For six weeks the stools leakage continued but eventually stopped beginning of october. Six months on my latest CT scan shows no communication on vaginal wall side but still shows on bowel wall side. Still get the wind issue at times but a lot less now and seem to be fine to control it. I feel so much happier now and wanted to share with others that things sometimes can improve given time. My consultant is hopeful that mine will eventually completely close. JMP

It's awesome to hear that some of you have had experiences with self healing. I have noticed that my fistula has gotten a bit worse. Initially, I only felt the air come out of my vagina when I passed gas while sitting and now (6 months post partum), most of the time when I pass gas it comes out of my vagina and only occasionally comes out rectally. For those of you who had healing, how long did it take? Did ang of your fistulas get worse before they got better? Thankfully right now the air only comes out when I voluntarily pass gas but I'm so worried it will continue to get worse. Right now I'm using estrogen cream and taking cell salts. I have not seen a colorectal surgeon because I've read so many horror stories of surgery making things worse and I have fear of them making the fistula worse by examining it. Also, did anyone have worsening symptoms with subsequent pregnancies and did you opt for a c-section?

Careful now, it is truth for some and while scary others to have to hear, A REALITY none the less. It is important for women struggling with this to be well informed- that is, to know the good and the bad in conducting their research. I have dealt with a RVF for approx 10 years now. I have had 7 surgeries in total to attempt a repair. Ive been told by other doctors that my surgeon is excellent. I have had a flap done 3 times. After one in particular my symptoms were much worse - so much feces coming through it was mortifying and horrifying and incredibly depressing. My surgeon finally decided best to leave it alone and my GI doctor prescribed me Humira, a biologic and immunosuppresant (human not mouse protein) used for various diseases including Crohn's, Colitis, arthritis and psoriasis. the Humira was working over the years. basically "keeping symptoms at bay' but each time i have tried to go off it my symptoms get worse. Unfortunately in the last 6 months i've had two extreme flareups of psoriasis which Humira can cause in some people (odd as it's also used to rid the symptoms of psoriasis [notice i don't word the word "cure" anywhere here...pharma doesn't cure - it holds symptoms at bay (to varying degrees) but can also cause a great many side effects, some quite extreme, thus user beware- But yes, the Humira kept my symptoms at bay but i'm now dealing with severe skin disorder, oh and hair loss, that started last year (was tested for thyroid and hormonal and iron and every other possible cause of hair loss - nothing. so likely the humira is causing that too. I would recommend it to those who are desperate but i would also plan to have a surgical repair with a very very practiced surgeon. Seek out Dr. Bo Shen at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio if you can. I've been off humira twice in the last six months and each time the RVF symptoms come back within a week. It is considered a small RVF by the way- difficult if not impossible to see on an MRI. Good luck everyone.

My youngest son is 4 months old. When I arrived at the hospital I was dilated to 6 cm and my water had ruptured well there was no doctor or midwife on call to deliver my son so I had to wait fully dilated until the midwife arrived and he was born a couple of minutes later. I was told I had only small scratches that did not require stitches. At 4 week postpartum I was still tender during my exam she said very thing looked great by 6 weeks I was incontinent and had group A strep in my urine and vaginal was treated with antibiotics felt a little better symptoms came back within days of stopping the antibiotics so I went to another doctor. This time I had strep group b and E.coli in my urine more antibiotics and also a kidney and transvaginal ultrasound. Kidneys were normal and could only see cysts on my ovaries and nothing else bc my uterus is so retropulsive. Through next culture was group b again and then throw next was 2 E.coli and enterococus which all originate from the intestines. So now I am on 2 more antibiotics and have an appt for the urologist for possible fistula. Also when the last dr performed a pelvic exam he felt a high tear that the midwife missed 3 times!! I am so nervous about this upcoming appt as I do not want to have surgery. Anyone with any advice would be appreciated. I am currently taking probiotics as well as high strength garlic supplements to hopefully help heal.

Hie all.... i have the same problem now. I had forceps delivery and im jus 1 month old after postpartum. I have stool leakage through vagina along with gas. Doc removed the sutures and resutured it. Still the problem continues. Please help me how to get rid of the deep stress.