One thing I will be forever grateful about in my research is the bravery of this blooger when she posted a picture of her seton. I was absolutely terrified of having mine put in. What was it going to look like? What was it going to feel like? How long was it going to be in there? Was it going to hurt? How was I going to keep it clean? I was so glad to see hers and hear her talk about her experience. For that reason, I’ve decided to post a picture of my seton.
Now first off, there are three major different types of setons. I have a drainage seton. It’s designed to keep the wound open and to let pus and poop leak out of the fistula. Without it, my fistula would try to close from the outside in, creating a little cup that would hold in the pus and poop and get infected again. These types of setons can be left in for anywhere from a few days to a few months to indefinitely.
There are also cutting setons which a specialist will put in and tighten over time over successive visits. These are a bit controversial but the idea is that they will eventually cut through the fistulous track.
A newbie on the scene is comfort seton. These are a type of draining seton but they don’t have ties (which can be very uncomfortable and irritating to the anal area). I WISH I had a comfort seton! They're a great choice for people who have to have these in for a long time.
I’ve had a good experience with my draining seton. My butt is often irritated with it because of the ties, but that’s really my only complaint. To combat the irritation, I often rub coconut oil around the fistula and in my anal area. To keep it clean, I make sure to rince the seton off with a removable showerhead after each BM. If I don’t have ready access to a shower after a BM, I use wet wipes and a portable bidet. At first I noticed that the seton was in, but it wasn't painful. Mine has been in for about 8 months now and it took about 2 weeks to get used to. Now I can't feel it at all other than the knots.
**GRAPHIC PHOTO WARNING**
Okay *takes a deep breath* without further adu, here’s what my seton looks like. Eesh I can’t believe I’m posting this.
Now first off, there are three major different types of setons. I have a drainage seton. It’s designed to keep the wound open and to let pus and poop leak out of the fistula. Without it, my fistula would try to close from the outside in, creating a little cup that would hold in the pus and poop and get infected again. These types of setons can be left in for anywhere from a few days to a few months to indefinitely.
There are also cutting setons which a specialist will put in and tighten over time over successive visits. These are a bit controversial but the idea is that they will eventually cut through the fistulous track.
A newbie on the scene is comfort seton. These are a type of draining seton but they don’t have ties (which can be very uncomfortable and irritating to the anal area). I WISH I had a comfort seton! They're a great choice for people who have to have these in for a long time.
I’ve had a good experience with my draining seton. My butt is often irritated with it because of the ties, but that’s really my only complaint. To combat the irritation, I often rub coconut oil around the fistula and in my anal area. To keep it clean, I make sure to rince the seton off with a removable showerhead after each BM. If I don’t have ready access to a shower after a BM, I use wet wipes and a portable bidet. At first I noticed that the seton was in, but it wasn't painful. Mine has been in for about 8 months now and it took about 2 weeks to get used to. Now I can't feel it at all other than the knots.
**GRAPHIC PHOTO WARNING**
Okay *takes a deep breath* without further adu, here’s what my seton looks like. Eesh I can’t believe I’m posting this.
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