Whats a fistula?
A fistula, pronounced FISS-CHA-LA, is among the most common complications of FtM sex change procedures. Sometimes called a “fistulotomy”, it can result from injury, surgery, infection or inflammation. It is an unintentional passageway from a vessel, body structure or hollow organ (such as a penis or neophallus) which enables passage of bodily fluids to the outer surface of the person’s body or to another organ or area of the body. In many cases, the injury can be repaired with simple surgery that has a success rate of 90% and costs about US$300 in the USA. It is reasonable to expect the surgeon who performed a surgery that results in a fistula to perform the repair without a fee for his service. Some doctors expect the patient to bear other expenses such as the cost of the facility and perhaps anesthesia. There are many types of fistula including: blind, complete and incomplete. A blind fistula connects two places but is open on only one end. An incomplete fistula opens on the skin but
