This topic is about someone dealing with a challenging situation involving a right-sided ileostomy and a troublesome fistula on the left side. The fistula, which used to need only occasional care, has started to ooze daily and has a strong odor, causing a lot of frustration, especially since the person is house-bound and unable to work. Here are some helpful insights and advice shared by others:

1. Possible cause and first steps:
- The leakage might be serous fluid from a mucous fistula, which often has a foul smell.
- It's important to contact your surgeon or ostomy nurse, as there are prescription drugs that can help reduce the output and promote closure.
- Consider having a CT scan to check for any additional or enlarging fistulae, as an increase in volume or odor might indicate the tract is getting bigger.

2. Products, supplies, and websites:
- If the fistula output becomes watery and frequent, switching from a simple cover to an ostomy pouch can help contain the odor better.
- For managing a mucous fistula, you might want to look into the adhesive cover system available at ampatch.com.
- Feminine pads, liners, or products like Depends can absorb drainage from small external openings between dressing changes.

3. Medical and surgical therapies mentioned:
- Biologics like Humira (adalimumab) and Remicade (infliximab) are sometimes used to close fistulae, though results can vary and there are concerns about side effects and costs.
- Botox injections have been tried on certain types of fistulae.
- Muscle-flap surgery, which uses an inner-thigh muscle, can be an option when other repairs fail, especially for anovaginal fistulae.
- Interventional Radiology might place a catheter with a leg bag for continuous drainage, though some patients prefer not to have additional external hardware.
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO2) involves 40–60 sessions of breathing 100% oxygen under pressure, which can improve healing in radiation-damaged tissue. The benefit peaks 6–12 months after treatment, but abdominal stomas may feel pressure during sessions.

4. General observations and encouragement:
- Fistulae are abnormal openings that can branch, enlarge, attach to nearby organs, and signal worsening conditions like Crohn’s disease or radiation injury.
- Early medical evaluation is crucial, as surgical options become more complex as fistulae grow.
- It's important to seek specialists experienced in radiation-induced injuries or complex fistula repair.