Possible Internal Lower Rectal Abscess/Fistula

I am not sure yet if I only have an inflamed nodule like a cyst, or abscess, or fistula (god forbid) and my colorectal doc says he won't know until he does an exam under anasthesia on me. I had an inflamed polyp removed recently from the area by snare excision, which was like a blister sitting on top of the area that has pus in it (yuck I know).

My area is a small area that is just on the left inside of my lower rectum. That's the only area of issue for me. So if if is an abscess/fistula, is one inside the lower rectum fairly simple to repair? What about going to the bathroom after? Won't the passing of waste through the area aggravate it? Seems like it would be hard to heal if it's on the inside.

Also, are exams under anasthesia necessary to assess these? Or wouldn't they want to do imaging before surgery. Doc told me he thought I'd be in and out in 10-15 minutes, but uncertain if fistula.

I'll make darn sure I don't sign any consent forms until I get answers. I'd be inclined to just let this go for awhile longer, since my symptoms aren't hardly bad at all now, but doc told me I'll just get more inflammatory polyps growing on top of the nodule if I don't get the underlying thing removed.

Hello Mark, and welcome to the forum. I see from your other post that you don't have Crohn's, so I'm not sure how similar or dissimilar my experience might be.

I had an exam under anesthesia and had a seton placed. At least in my case, the EUA was necessary because there is alot of unpredictability for Crohn's patients when it comes to these kinds of things.

I would encourage you to discuss this with your surgeon. When I had my EUA, I understood several different scenarios and what the doctor might do in each of those situations. I understand that the unknowns of this kind of situation can be unsettling.

Also, for Crohn's patients, abscesses/fistulae are often unpredictable, difficult-to-treat, and, unfortunately, often reoccurring. When first faced with some of the options, I definitely remember some of them having quite a "shock value." I would also encourage you to try to keep an open mind and really discuss things to your content with your doctor. Options are not always plentiful, in my experience, but again, I don't know how your doctor might approach your case compared to a patient with Crohn's.

Hang in there, Mark. I hope you can get some more clear answers from your doctor soon and a comfortable way forward. Welcome.