A urinary fistula is an abnormal collection between a urinary tract organ and another organ or an abnormal opening within a urinary organ. It processes out urine and carries it out of the body through the kidney bladder, ureter tube and urethra. Urinary organ or vaginal connections are also called a vaginal foetus. A fistula is a hole in the vagina bladder or any other organ that allows the stool, urine or other matters to pass where it should not thus resulting in urine leakage and faeces from the vagina due to the abnormal connection.
Urinary Fistula Key Points
- Urinary fistula is an abnormal connection between a urinary tract organ and another organ or an abnormal opening in an organ of the urinary tract
- Urinary fistula can cause infection and incontinence.
- Open urinary fistula occurs from trauma, after surgery, because of radiation treatment or due to certain diseases.
- The most common reason for urinary fistula is pelvic surgeries or abdominal surgeries such as Caesarean section and hysterectomy after the damage to the bladder.
- Most of the time the urinary fistula can be repaired with surgery
Possibility Of Different Types Of Fistulas
Signs Include:
- An opening between the vagina and the bladder is a vesicovaginal fistula that is the most frequent kind of urinary fistula in women. Mostly it occurs due to a previous hysterectomy or sometimes difficult labour.
- An opening between the bladder and the bowel is an enterovesical fistula which is another most common urinary fistula.
- An opening between the bladder and the uterus is a vesicouterine fistula
- An opening between a vagina and ureter is a ureterovaginal fistula occurring due to pelvic surgery for prior hysterectomy.
- An opening between the vagina and the urethra is a urethrovaginal fistula
- An opening between the bladder and the colon is a colovesical fistula
- An opening between the vagina and the rectum is a rectovaginal fistula.
Fistulas are most common in females but men sometimes experience a different type of urinary fistula as a complication of chordee repair or hypospadias. Vaginal fistula occurs most commonly in developing regions where adequate health care is not taken such as during very difficult childbirth there can be damage to tissues leading to the opening of the fistula. A bladder fistula can occur if there is any prior injury, blocking the bladder, outlet forming a fistula.
Surgery
Most of the time the fistula requires a surgical repair that is done through the vagina or abdomen. In some cases, laparoscopic surgery or robotic surgery are done to repair a fistula. The main goal of the surgery is to make the healthy tissues grow close to the opening, restoring the normal function of the organs.
