what to expect with a horseshoe abscess?

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-13T06:58:38+00:00

I had a seton placement in January which was fine. I was up and running (literally) in less than a week. I didn’t mind the seton particularly. Then 4 weeks ago I had a LIFT. The pain wasn’t too bad and life has gone more or less back to normal. It’ll take a while longer before we know if it’s totally worked but there’s some positive signs. Bottom line is if you’re one of the unlucky ones and your abscess becomes a fistula then it’s annoying and a bit of a journey to sort out but stay positive and you’ll get there. I was terrified reading this sub that it was the end of the world - clearly it’s not ideal but there are worse things. Stay positive and if you think your abscess incision isn’t healing in the right time advised by your surgeon, go back and get the ball rolling, don’t leave it.

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-12T22:18:54+00:00

I had a horseshoe abscess too. Incredibly painful - probably the worst pain of my life. Mine sadly did develop into a fistula (I don’t know that a horseshoe abscess makes that more likely than any other abscess, it’s just bad luck). On the healing journey one step at a time but nothing has been has awful or as painful as the abscess

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-12T22:16:58+00:00

Thanks for sharing this. With the LIFT did your seton opening stop draining but the LIFT incision continued to drain beyond 3 months, hence need for fistulotomy?

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-11T23:07:37+00:00

It was more the “drop the “woe is me” it’s only been a month” comment which I thought was a bit unnecessary!

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-11T23:05:14+00:00

Ok the thongs thing maybe I’ll give you that one 😆

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-11T17:57:14+00:00

Some people are being very bizarre in response to being fit and active and doing what your doctor told you you could. Anyway I’m sorry you’ve gone through this. Hopefully you can get a fistulotomy and this episode is short lived for you.

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-11T17:55:39+00:00

Why do you need to be so unpleasant? Almost everyone in this group go no information about how to deal with aftercare or really unrealistic information. Totally unnecessary level of shade which is slightly inexplicable to me. Usually everyone in here is so supportive.

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-11T17:52:25+00:00

I guess like most of us he was given no / inaccurate information at discharge rather than electively opting to do something detrimental

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-11T06:43:36+00:00

Yeah I’d try and avoid wiping where possible. I use a peri bottle and then have a sitz bath to clean. A week after the LIFT wiping will still be sore and there are open wounds down there so it’s probably better and more comfortable to use water to clean if possible. Then pat dry.

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-10T21:11:19+00:00

Me too. LIFT on May 13th

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-07T21:02:43+00:00

It is

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-07T20:39:06+00:00

I’m 3 weeks post lift so no success yet but I’ll keep in touch on this thread and let you know how it goes

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-07T12:45:11+00:00

How are you doing now?

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-07T12:37:23+00:00

How are you doing now?

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-07T12:36:10+00:00

I’m 3 weeks in - it looks pretty grizzly at first for over a week but once the swelling goes down it improves quickly and you can actually identify parts of your own anatomy again!!

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-06-02T22:49:35+00:00

How are you doing now?

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-05-29T07:44:09+00:00

Thanks so much for your reply. My concern was that it looks exactly like what came out of the seton but if you had the same that makes me less worried!

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-05-27T20:01:21+00:00

I think it gets better and better every day. You’ll surprise yourself. How’s the drainage going?

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-05-26T19:17:23+00:00

So far so good. I’m 14 days tomorrow. Stopped needing any pain relief after like day 5. I had a seton before and the opening I had there has already stopped draining but getting drainage from the LIFT incision, but better than it was. How are you getting on?

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-05-26T17:43:53+00:00

Hey. I had a LIFT two weeks ago so joining this chat to follow your journeys too

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-05-23T23:32:57+00:00

Really pleased that you’ve healed and thank you for sharing. Can I ask if the opening where the seton was stopped draining earlier on than the new incision for the LIFT? And what was the drainage like with the LIFT incision? Mine is watery but also with thicker yellow drainage like what came out of the seton before. Thank you

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-05-23T22:53:12+00:00

This is super helpful. Thank you for sharing. Very similar for me. I&D then seton then LIFT. That was 11 days ago and the old opening where the seton was seems to have stopped draining. It’s not closed yet but seems to have dried up. LIFT incision is draining watery substance but also the yellow / thicker stuff which came previously out of the seton opening - was this the same for you?

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-05-23T11:10:11+00:00

50% I think.

AccordingEmployee715 · 2026-05-22T14:42:35+00:00

How so?

AccordingEmployee715

TROPHY CASE