By Padma Nagappan
Medically Reviewed by Kareem Sassi, MD
Originally published by Everyday Health on May 14th, 2019: https://www.everydayhealth.com/crohns-disease/symptoms/fistulas-common-crohns-side-effect-you-should-aware/
Fistulas are an abnormal connection between two body parts. In Crohn’s patients they form as tunnels within the walls of the intestine and connect to other organs or tissue, causing pain and infection.
After years of living in intense pain and going through several misdiagnoses, Tina Aswani Omprakash, found out she had Crohn’s disease. Her condition was so severe that she needed emergency proctocolectomy surgery (removal of the colon and rectum), and she was put on biologics.
“I knew Crohn’s was an intense disease, but I did not realize what it takes to really, truly fight for your life and what it takes to get your life back after so many surgeries and flare-ups,” she says.
She developed a fistula, an abnormal opening that forms in the wall of the intestine and connects to other tissues or organs in the body. Fistulas are a common complication of Crohn’s that can occur between the vagina and the rectum or anywhere between the intestine and the skin.
A fistula is often noticed only after it breaks through the surface of the skin, which is what happened to Omprakash.
To read more about Tina’s journey with perianal, fistulizing Crohn’s Disease and hear doctors’ perspectives on treating fistulae, please visit the following link on the Everyday Health website: https://www.everydayhealth.com/crohns-disease/symptoms/fistulas-common-crohns-side-effect-you-should-aware/
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