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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    What is a fistula of the bowel?

    Related Topics
    Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis Digestive Health Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
    What are the symptoms and how is it best to look after yourself?

    Is this known as Crohn's disease or IBM?

    I was just told I had a fistula of the bowel and I can't find any info on the net about it.
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    Prof Andrew Day

    Paediatrician

    A fistula is a connection from one part of the bowel to somewhere else. It may connect to another section of bowel (making a “short-cut”), the skin, or even another organ (such as the bladder). Most people with Crohn disease have inflammation only at diagnosis, but some do have a fistula at that time. Other time, people can develop a fistula (others can develop a narrowing, or stricture). The management of a fistula depends a little, but often an escalation of medical therapy (such as to Infliximab) or surgery are required. Sometimes a fistula can be complicated by an abscess as well - this would usually need antibiotics and may require a procedure to drain the abscess (again depending on the circumstances)

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