What this experience covers
This experience covers what fistula wound drainage looks like at different stages of healing — the colours, amounts, and smells that are normal versus those that may need attention. It is a composite drawn from many anonymised accounts.
The pattern
Normal drainage
- Clear or slightly yellow fluid — serous drainage, the most common type during normal healing
- Blood-tinged (pink) — common in the first week or two
- Small amounts that stain gauze but do not soak through quickly
- Mild odour — noticeable when changing gauze but not foul
- Gradually decreasing in amount over weeks
Potentially concerning drainage
- Green or thick yellow — may indicate infection
- Foul smell that is distinctly different from the baseline wound odour
- Increasing amount after a period of decreasing
- Accompanied by fever, increasing pain, or redness around the wound
When to contact your doctor
Seek medical attention if you experience:
- Drainage that becomes foul-smelling, green, or pus-like
- Increasing discharge after it had been decreasing
- Fever or feeling unwell alongside changes in drainage
- Redness spreading around the wound
- Any changes that concern you