What are the symptoms of a bladder fistula?

Signs and symptoms of a bladder fistula may include:

• Gas coming out of your urethra (tube that drains urine from the bladder to outside the body) as you urinate.
• Persistent, recurrent (chronic) urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Urine that looks like stool.
• Urine that smells like stool.

Is a bladder fistula serious?

A bladder fistula occurs when a connection forms between the bladder and another organ, most often the bowel or the vagina. The bladder then leaks through the opening and out the other organ. Bladder fistulas do not heal on their own; however, they are preventable and treatable.

What happens if a vaginal fistula is left untreated?

Complications of rectovaginal fistula may include: Vaginal infections. Urinary tract infections. Pain and irritation.

How do you fix a bladder fistula?

The only way to fix vesicovaginal fistulas is with surgery to close off the opening. Sometimes additional procedures are needed to correct the original cause of the problem, such as damage to the bladder. Surgery to correct vesicovaginal fistulas is generally very successful.

How do you repair a hole in the bladder?

Depending on the location of the “hole”, this can be repaired either through a surgical procedure through the vagina where the fistula is cut out and the good tissue are sewn back together. If the hole is higher up, then an incision may have to be made in the abdomen to repair this hole.

What causes a vaginal fistula?

Vaginal fistulas are usually caused by prolonged tissue damage to one specific area in the organ. Over time, the damaged tissue breaks down and causes a fistula to open up. Some of the most common causes of a vaginal fistula include: Surgery to the vagina, perineum , anus, or rectum.

What is vesicovaginal fistula?

Vesicovaginal fistula. Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) is a subtype of female urogenital fistula (UGF). Contents. Presentation. Vesicovaginal fistula, or VVF, is an abnormal fistulous tract extending between the bladder (vesica) and the vagina that allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault.

Can urine leak into colon?

The key thing here is to evaluate to see if you have a “colovesical fistula”, which is a connection from the dome of the bladder to the last part of the colon; if a connection occurs, then urine can leak from the bladder, into the colon and come out the anus. The bladder and the rectum can also develop a fistula.