What’s more, success over the long term is only likely if the patient is actively involved in her healing. Fistula pre- and postoperative care is not complex but patients must faithfully adhere to a few basic instructions: drink four to six liters of fluids per day, remain mobile at all times and do the exercises they learn, leave the urinary catheters in place, and avoid sex for four to six months after the operation. (Fistula patients are advised not to get pregnant within a year after repair, and advised that any future deliveries should be by Caesarean section.)