Hmmm, that is definitely food for thought, Jan. Thank you. I hadn't thought about the possibility of not having to do the "Barbie Butt". I will definitely put more thought into this and have Qs lined up for the next time I speak with my surgeon.
As to the other, I think that yes, the assumption is that with no waste going through, the fistula won't be a problem. It is quite low, so only full removal would permanently make it a non-issue. But I do need to clarify this again.
My surgeon has done the pouch advancement procedure before, several times, for various reasons and has never had a fistula form after one, ever, including women who had R/V fistulas prior to the advancement. He said that if the fistula was going to recur, he would have expected it to do so within the first 6 months or so, not at almost a year later. So for both reasons he was very surprised that mine came back.
I guess the stupid thing just does not want to give up!
Gin