I Need Surgery in My Butt for a Fissure. Does Anyone Know The Price of Going Private?

Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 15:47
Last edited 19/11/2017 - 16:13 by 1 other user

It's been six months. I've only just seen a surgeon a month ago and now I'm on cat 2 elective surgery wait list. They say they try to get you done with 90 days of that appointment but it isn't looking likely. This condition has been debilitating and most days I can't even get out of the bed due to the severe pain

I am currently a student therefore money is quite tight but I am experiencing a lot of emotional and mental health issues from this. So at this point I feel like I have nothing left in me to fight this damn fissure.

The surgeon has indicated he will be injecting me with botox, so I was wondering if anyone who may have had this done in that past privately know of the costs approximately?

Thanks

Edit to add
I don't have hospital cover insurance
I am in WA

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • nocure on 19/11/2017 - 16:12
    +1

    Forget private, just present to emergency Monday morning, meanwhile a sitz bath should alleviate the pain.

    • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 16:19

      I don't think they'd take me considering I'm already on the wait list - what symptoms could I possibly present with that would rush my surgery do you think?

      • nocure on 19/11/2017 - 16:23
        +6

        10/10 severe pain

        • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 16:55
          -5

          I might try that I guess, thanks

        • sydsm on 20/11/2017 - 08:53
          -5

          @Shaman: agree - your pain is 10/10 and you are in SEVERE pain…they will open up a bed for you but you better make sure you are in pain as they will know.

        • tsunamisurfer on 20/11/2017 - 13:13
          +52

          Please do not encourage people to present to Emergency that are not life threatening.

          Emergency is for just that, critical life death situations. Their limited resources should not be used on people who have recently seen a doctor and have been put on a waiting list (ie deemed not life threatening).

          Think.

        • BertieBrown on 20/11/2017 - 14:24
          +7

          @tsunamisurfer: Emergeny is for anything where you feel you need immediate and urgent care. I appreciate your sentiment in that yes common sense in these instances is invaluable but a client might not always know whether their symptoms are critical.

          If a patient is feeling severely unwell but have already seen a GP it’s appropriate to report to emergency if they are in severe or extreme pain or distress as their condition could have deteriorated or changed. The doctors within ED will triage to determine whether someone needs immediate care. ED would prefer you to present rather than not want to be bothering them and then end up much worse or even in a critical condition.

        • nocure on 20/11/2017 - 14:36
          +6

          @tsunamisurfer:
          Obviously you have never experienced severe pain before, so you have no idea, a fissure, if left untreated can become infected very quickly…would you rather he sit at home in unbearable pain then be forced to call an ambulance….

        • Rupture on 20/11/2017 - 17:03
          +8

          @Jawanzar: A little bit of misinformation here. For starters, nurses triage the patients in emergency, not doctors. As the husband of a nurse working in the emergency department, I can tell you right now that they would prefer for you to go to your GP if it is not absolutely critical. Chances are you will most likely be waiting for hours on end if you are not an immediate priority. Not only that, but the triage system works exactly as you would expect, if someone with a more critical condition than you arrives, then you will be waiting that much longer. This person has just written a post on an internet forum, this is not a critical emergency department scenario. Go to your GP, or go to another doctor and get them to re-assess if your situation has changed.

        • Rupture on 20/11/2017 - 17:07
          +5

          Do you know how many times the nurses and doctors in the emergency department hear that? They will scoff at the thought of 10/10 pain and despite what you're suggesting, this will not likely get you immediate treatment (because they're not stupid). What it will do, is piss people off, and get you some Panadol and a long wait time in the emergency room. FYI 10/10 pain is, I'm being burnt alive, my arm was just ripped off etc. Too many jokers arriving in emergency and claiming 7/8/9/10 levels of pain while sitting comfortably and posting on social media on their phones.

        • tsunamisurfer on 20/11/2017 - 17:09
          +7

          @Jawanzar:

          Yes…and I support anyone who legitimately believes they are in danger to present at Emergency for treatment, even if it ends up being overeating.

          However….reading the OP's story, NOTHING has changed, nothing. Only that he doesn't like the pain. Presenting to the ER would go like this.

          OP : Doc I need help for my fissure.
          ER : OK so you've obviously seen a specialist already and what did they say?
          OP : They put me @ Cat 2.
          ER : OK…so what has changed?
          OP : Nothing really just don't like this pain …LEL.
          ER : GTFO.

        • nocure on 20/11/2017 - 17:09
          +3

          @Rupture:

          FYI 10/10 pain is…

          Have you had a kidney stone?

        • pennypincher98 on 20/11/2017 - 18:18
          +3

          @nocure: Having a kidney stone is comparable to going into labour I reckon, except you don't get a kid at the end.

        • Bastidgeson on 20/11/2017 - 18:55
          +5

          @pennypincher98: I had two, two weeks apart. If there was a gun in the house I would have considered using it.

        • McWillisac on 20/11/2017 - 19:11
          +2

          @nocure: Obivously the health professionals take that into consideration. Theyve deemed him categorie 2 - within 3 months.

          Think.

        • bobs burgers on 20/11/2017 - 21:52

          My sister is a nurse, she sent me this one day
          https://www.reddit.com/r/nursing/comments/6y4iia/an_improved…

        • FogAndSteel on 20/11/2017 - 22:32

          This. Had it once, would do anything to avoid a second time.

        • tik tok on 21/11/2017 - 11:02
          -1

          @Rupture: What an ironic user name :)
          I feel very strongly about triage nurses. I don't know how qualified they are to make an assessment without having a doctors degree. I have personally had two cases of severe mis-prioritising by the nurses.

        • jasonb on 21/11/2017 - 11:44
          +2

          @AussieB: You can point to plenty of examples of mistakes being made, by any profession.

          Triage nurses, in general, are very good. Yes sometimes they make mistakes, but there's also onus on patients to re-present for triage if things change. It's also a case of sometimes what patients think is an emergency isn't actually a life threatening emergency.

          Of course without knowing the actual situation it's hard to comment.

        • TrendyTim on 21/11/2017 - 15:22
          -1

          @AussieB:

          I don't envy them thats for sure, last time i went to emergency, i had just taken some Tramadol (The first time i took 2 doses in the same day), i was vomiting, shaking etc and the TN tried to convince me i had gastro, thankfully after an hour or two a dr saw me and agreed with me it was likely a reaction to Tramadol. Nearly got booted from ED when they did the change over and they were doing the briefing. Thankfully after a drip, anti nausea meds and an hour or so i was feeling much better and no gastro issues.

          So no they don't always get it right (and people have died because they were ignored at the ED), but i still respect them, they have a tough job (and people often embellish their ailments) and often have to cop a lot of abuse for prioritising (no one likes being seen after someone else that 'seemingly' is better off than you are, i hated seeing other people being seen before me when i felt like i was having a severe reaction to the Tramadol.

      • wallet72 on 20/11/2017 - 12:21

        I've been in the same position but for another medical condition. My specialist told me to present to Emergency whenever I needed to regardless of being on the waitlist or not. It help when they try to push the urgency of your case, and also helps when you want to make a complaint about how long you've been waiting.

        • McWillisac on 20/11/2017 - 19:14
          +2

          You dont get to make a "complaint" about how long you've been waiting. Your categorisation is based on your deemed need at the time of issuance of an RFA (return for admission) for surgery. This may change based on your clinical need, but you dont jsut turn up to ED to make a complaint. Pursue patient liason services and waste someone else's time whos not trying to run a busy ED.

        • wallet72 on 21/11/2017 - 07:41
          +1

          @McWillisac: complaint may be the wrong word. I don't mean you turn up and complain about how long you've ben on the waiting list. If you are turning up to ED with legitimate issues and you are waiting for surgery then it does get taken into account and your case does get reviewed. Just because you have made the waiting list doesn't mean you should suffer in silence, if your situation is getting worse then you need to go to the ED and your case will get reviewed.

    • woteva on 20/11/2017 - 11:18
      +1

      This might help ease the pain
      https://youtu.be/EpcDH9faOQw

    • B-prince on 20/11/2017 - 12:45
      +3

      If you present to ED and you are already on the wait list there wont be much else they can do in terms of speeding up your procedure. You will be given medication to optimise your pain control until the time of your procedure. I know it seems unfair at the moment, but in an extremely busy public system patients have to be prioritised. You are already cat 2 so it is very unlikely they will bump you up to cat 1.

      In the mean time I would recommend taking your pain killers regularly as prescribed and if not sufficient then presenting to your GP for further medication

    • Protato on 20/11/2017 - 18:10
      +4

      This is terrible advice, this is not an emergency. OP should see their GP and get stronger pain killers. Acute surgery team won't operate on a fissure as an emergency unless it's infected in most cases.

  • Aust on 19/11/2017 - 16:48
    +3

    Are you under 25 and do your parents have health insurance? You might have
    Cover under their policy

    • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 16:54

      No unfortunately not, thanks

      • TheCutter on 21/11/2017 - 12:41
        +1

        If you want real advise then the treatment is movicol up to 8 sachets a day to get your poo like toothpaste for 2 -3 months.
        This will allow it to heal.

        Surgery on fissures is notoriously variable in its outcome so dont think its the end of your issues.

        My brother had one - because I told him thats what it was he didn't beleive me.

        He got his poo like toothpaste and called me at 2 months distressed as the plan was not working…. i told him to hang in there and 2 weeks later it healed and he was cured. Not a problem since.

        • irajohn90 on 30/11/2017 - 21:39

          Another option is to use benefibre or Metamucil with lactulose. Lactulose is the same sugar that you find in dairy products. You can purchase a bottle of lactulose from the chemist. If you mix the lactulose and Metamucil together it actual tastes quite nice.

          Both combined will soften your poo nicely, allowing the fissue to heal and hopefully reduce the pain.
          Depending how bad it can take a week or 2 for things to get better. I had a fissure when I was travelling, all I could do is soften the poo to ease the pain until I got back home. When I did get home, I just continued with the high fibre and it healed after 2-3 weeks.

          Fruit and vegetables are good for getting things moving, but you'll also need soluble fibre like oats and bread which will soften your stools, making it easier to pass.

    • StingyBritches on 20/11/2017 - 11:22

      Should that be under 21, not 25?

      • BertieBrown on 20/11/2017 - 14:25
        +1

        It might depend on the fund but Bupa is 25.

        • buckster on 20/11/2017 - 21:14

          Depends on whether they're in full time study or not

  • try2bhelpful on 19/11/2017 - 16:57
    +1

    Can you contact your surgeon and see if he can get you pushed up the list due to the pain involved; plead nicely. Sometimes they can pull a few strings.

    • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 17:13

      My hospital letter doesn't specify a surgeon, just a number to contact which is the switchboard

  • Baysew on 19/11/2017 - 17:21
    +8

    Does this mean that Family sized 4wd for long trips? is on hold?

    • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 17:25
      +1

      Yes unfortunately. If I go private I'll basically be using thee savings towards the forby to afford it

      • KLoNe on 20/11/2017 - 08:45
        +4

        Just because you can rake up the money to buy something doesn't mean you can afford it.

        • Shaman on 20/11/2017 - 10:41

          Thank you. We have an emergency savings account which we usually maintain around $5,000 in, the savings for the new car are separate to that. We don't want to touch the emergency funds for this only unless it's a last resort.

    • A fish on 20/11/2017 - 09:11
      -1

      Hackerrrrrrrr

  • Reveen on 19/11/2017 - 17:47
    +13

    ♫ I said, what what, in the butt
    I said, what what, in the butt
    I said, what what, in the butt
    I said, what what, in the butt
    You wanna do it in my butt, in my butt?
    You wanna do it in my butt, in my butt?
    You wanna do it in my butt, in my butt?
    Let's do it in the butt, okay ♫

    • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 17:50
      +34

      What a cheeky comment. You smart arse. I'm tired of being the butt end of everyone's jokes.

      • Kangal on 19/11/2017 - 18:35
        +5

        Really? I thought he was just an ArseHole….

    • marquise on 19/11/2017 - 23:16

      Almost sounds like Thong Song by Sisqo?

    • D6C1 on 20/11/2017 - 04:21
      +3

      ♫ It's okay
      To have a little fight
      Don't you worry
      I won't bite (Not that hard)
      If you want it
      I'll give you power
      Just be gentle
      I'm delicate like a flower ♫

  • MasterNoob on 19/11/2017 - 17:51
    +4

    Too much protein, not enough fibre eh?

    • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 18:00

      Yeah I think so. It's been a wake up call certainly. Definitely have changed my dietary habits, and been advocating a good diet amongst my family and friends too - wouldn't even wish this excruciating torture to my enemies if I had any.

      It all started with a impulse trip to gelare for some waffles which my wife was craving when pregnant at the time. As soon as we left I got that gut wrenching feeling of having to go to the loo. I'm stupid and did not stop at a servo, thinking I would make it home in time. I did make it Gome however all the while driving I felt the rear end pulsating… Soon as I was in the bathroom it was I guess you could say…. A bloodbath

      • serpserpserp on 19/11/2017 - 18:15

        You might be in your 40/50s (I assume). Being honest, what has your diet been normally for your whole life? Do you exercise regularly (at least once every 2 days?) Not judging just want to know to scare myself into changing my diet/exercise regime :)

        • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 18:33
          +5

          I'm 29! Haha. It can happen to anyone, just a bad diet, even one bad bowel movement can cause it.

          My diet was honestly not that great before this. It wasn't bad, just not good. I am well within my age and height weight ideals. I eat a lot of rice, curries, meats and chocolate. I do not exercise. I have late dinners just before bed. This whole ordeal I bet is a culmination of all the things I've listed.

          I have changed my ways since then. Eating much more fruit and trying to get the best nutrients out of everything I eat.

          I hope it does scare you into maybe even adjusting some aspects of your lifestyle you feel are u healthy. There's no amount of chocolate in the world that would make up for the past five odd months of hell that I've been theough. Good luck

        • EightImmortals on 19/11/2017 - 18:55
          +1

          @Shaman: Nothing like a health crisis to get us to change our ways and wake up to ourselves. :) Luckily we have the internet and there are TONS of resources you can use to get on the right path. Start with veges.

  • kahn on 19/11/2017 - 18:01
    +14

    Fractured but whole.

    • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 18:03
      +2

      I wouldnt even say I'm whole anymore. Have had too many digital examinations to think about. They say with every examination, a piece of your sole escapes. But I get the reference, nice :)

      • kahn on 19/11/2017 - 18:04

        Laughter is the best medicine.

        • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 18:05
          +17

          Laughter contracts the pucker :(

    • ChillBro on 19/11/2017 - 18:18
      +1

      Not as good as stick of truth imo

  • sahh on 19/11/2017 - 18:09
    +1

    Get on embarrassing bodies if they ever visit Australia again

    • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 18:10

      I suspect my surgery would be before that. And I'm a hairy mongrel, I am more embarrassed about my hair down there than my big brown eye.

      • serpserpserp on 19/11/2017 - 18:25

        ♫ I'm looking in your eyes, I'm looking in you big brown eyes
        Ooh yeah, and I've got this to say to you, hey
        Girl, I want to make you sweat, sweat till you can't sweat no more
        And if you cry out, I'm gonna push it some more
        Girl, I want to make you sweat, sweat till you can't sweat no more
        And if you cry out, I'm gonna push it, push it, push it some more
        A la la la la long, a la la la la long long li long long long
        C'mon
        A la la la la long, a la la la la long long li long long long, ooh ♫

        • marquise on 19/11/2017 - 23:17
          +9

          Lots of great music on this station today!

  • [Deactivated] on 19/11/2017 - 18:20
    +4

    Just google imaged butt fissure for research purposes. Wish I didn't. You can never unsee a butt fissure.

    • nocure on 19/11/2017 - 18:22

      Now Google fistula for "research purposes" ;)

      • [Deactivated] on 19/11/2017 - 18:30
        +2

        Fully researched. Cheers

        • [Deactivated] on 20/11/2017 - 12:14
          +4

          Name Checks Out

  • trustnoone on 19/11/2017 - 18:26

    Drink a F! Load of Metamucil Fibre (definitely this), and eat a lot of fibre food. I'm not talking about "balance" and for the future and blah blah. I'm saying I had a fissure, was so bad I couldn't do absolutely anything, was in pain 24 7 and hated my life.

    The doctor told me to eat more fibre food which didn't do much, so I bought Metamucil fibre instead and took it (pretty much followed the packet) and the pain subsided sooo much. It still took a few months to fully go away but I literally got my life back lolol. Definitely recommend doing it, even if its just to alleviate things until surgery.

    • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 18:29

      Hey thank you. I have been smashing that stuff. I'm on two different pain meds as well as valium and rectogesic ointment. It's a chronic fissure at this point and the doctors have rule out that it will heal on its own.

      • marquise on 19/11/2017 - 23:19

        How effective are you finding the rectogesic ointment? Do you feel a drop in blood pressure from it?

        • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 23:25
          +1

          Yeah I feel very light headed from it occasionally. It's used as a treatment but it hasn't treated me, however it can relieve symptoms. It's a pain in the arse to apply it though, and it isn't cheap to purchase.

        • irajohn90 on 30/11/2017 - 21:53

          @Shaman: I had the same symptoms when I was using the cream. Its more to help with the symptoms rather than treat it.

          I wouldn't suggest using in for more than a week or 2. It can cause more damage than good.

      • cryptos on 20/11/2017 - 17:26

        Be careful, increasing the fibre content may produce harder stools and therefore pain in passing, I'd gradually increse the fibre and monitor.

        PS: not medically trained

      • EtherealArchelon on 21/11/2017 - 20:15

        Do you have a local anaesthetic cream as well? Something with cinchocaine, like proctocedyl?

      • srhardy on 02/12/2017 - 09:58

        Flagual antibiotic should dry it out over time, along with fibre

        remember nature gave it to you, nature can cure it

        oh you need yocukt too, repplace the good bateria. its better than needing a poo transplant (its a real thing)

    • c64 on 19/11/2017 - 20:10
      +8

      the fibre in metamucil is just pysillium, which you can buy much more cheaply as pysillium husk (which i prefer) or pysillium powder.

      • oringal on 20/11/2017 - 11:54

        how do you take pysillium husk? I bought a packet to try out and just mixed it with water… it was really hard to swallow, very weird taste and weird texture.

        • try2bhelpful on 20/11/2017 - 14:06

          I wonder if it might be something you could mix into breakfast cereal or muffins etc.

        • ProspectiveDarkness on 20/11/2017 - 14:32

          @try2bhelpful: Wouldn't recommend. The taste isn't extremely horrible, but it permeates and overpowers everything and IMO ruins anything you put it in. It'll also go gluggy very fast, so you'd want to be a fast eater. I've even tried baking with it, but that's a no go. I tried psyllium for ages but gave up on it. It's just a terrible, annoying, difficult substance. The only palatable thing that worked was pills from iHerb, but they're not as cheap as the raw husk.

        • try2bhelpful on 20/11/2017 - 16:28

          @ProspectiveDarkness: Thanks for the info. sounds like back to Metamucil then.

        • cryptos on 20/11/2017 - 17:25

          I take various seeds etc with a protein shake, very good at clensing the system. My main mix below:

          LSA=crushed linseed, sunflower seeds and almonds
          Chia seeds
          whole linseeds

          I guess I wouldn't recommend the above for anyone with a fissure as it can produce a hard nutty stool that drops like a brick :)

          Also be careful going from a low fibre diet…

        • Imitation on 22/11/2017 - 00:09

          I took it for a while. Two things:

          1. Apparently people who handle it a lot eg. nurses and mill workers can develop life threatening allergies. It's used a lot in hospitals.
          2. IIRC it's possible it could cause an obstruction of the bowel. Possible. Probably unlikely if you have a well functioning bowel.

          From my experience the best way to take it is mix it with water and down the whole lot as soon as possible and I mean within 30 seconds to a minute. Just tip your head back and let it flow. It absorbs the water, forms a gel and may pose a choking hazard. The longer you leave it the worse it will get. You just want it in your stomach ASAP.

  • pennypincher98 on 19/11/2017 - 19:03

    I'm in WA

    Maybe the Flying Doctor?

  • Iggemo on 19/11/2017 - 19:43
    +4

    If the condition is that bad i think you need to go back to your GP and let them know, because you should be bumped up the list. I recently had a bilateral inguinal hernia repair and i was on the same category wait list as you and i was nowhere near that bad. What you are suffering sounds to me like it should be a higher priority so i would be either (a) going back to my GP and pleading them to push me up, or (b) calling the colorectal dept at the hospital and doing the same thing there, and also make sure they take your name for the shortlist for when someone else cancels cos cancellations are common

  • c64 on 19/11/2017 - 19:46
    +2

    PSA: do not search for "anal fissure" on wikipedia!

    • TheBilly on 19/11/2017 - 19:51

      I was just about too… can you save me the hassle and provide a professional description?

      • c64 on 19/11/2017 - 20:07
        +4

        as soon as the page loads you will both completely comprehend the problem but simultaneously regret doing so :)

        • TheBilly on 19/11/2017 - 20:11

          You cannot make me heed a warning and then compel me to undertake the task lol … I'm torn now !! very curious, yet careful.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/11/2017 - 20:07

      I discovered earlier it has nothing to do about fish bottoms

    • papachris on 20/11/2017 - 05:37

      And do not search google for "anal fisture"…

      • wozz on 20/11/2017 - 06:56
        +1

        Might be as bad as a google image search for "blue waffle"

        • try2bhelpful on 20/11/2017 - 14:07

          is blue waffle anything like soggy SAO?

        • wozz on 21/11/2017 - 06:36

          @try2bhelpful:
          Surprisingly enough it's actually very different, even though one could reasonably assume it involves food!

    • myusername on 20/11/2017 - 12:02

      especially when at work

  • [Deactivated] on 19/11/2017 - 20:15

    The surgeon has indicated he will be injecting me with botox

    Did he say what quantity (units) or how many vials?

  • Scot on 19/11/2017 - 20:19
    -2

    I think you have had a pilnidal sinus( also known as Jeep Bum) that is now a pilonidal abscess which is considered an Emergency procedure. Can be be attended to in ED. Will involve excision and drainage of abscess and large wound that will need packing for a few weeks but you will feel much better almost immediately. Take yourself off to nearest ED and tell them pain score is 10/10! Good luck

    • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 20:27

      Hey there, what do you mean? I had a colonoscopy a little while back and it showed a granulated fissure inside. I don't know if I have anything beyond that in there. How can I tell? Thanks

    • Shaman on 19/11/2017 - 20:28

      Nevermind I just remember I can google things. I don't feel anything like that in my tailbone region =/

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join