After 12 years of a recurring anal fissure I have finally booked in to have my lateral anal sphincterotomy (or LIS as it seems to be referred to in this forum) with my Gastroenterologist (or CRS as it is more commonly know in this forum) for this Friday 22 June.
My anal fissure originally occurred during childbirth (how I wish I'd had a ceaser) and for most of that time i have been able to treat it with Rectogesic (glyceryl trinitrate) with it recurring maybe a couple of times a year.
Then in August last year, I had a skiing accident and ended up on a pain killer called panadeine forte (Paracetamol & Codeine Phosphate which while a great pain killer it also hasthe unfortunate side effect of blocking up the bowels) and since then the Rectogesic has stopped working its magic.
After about three months of it not seeming to heal, I sought out a specialist, and after waiting nearly four months to get into my Gastroenterologist (and that's with top level private health insurance - apparently there's just not enough doctor's around where I live). I then had to wait another 6 weeks to have a colonoscopy and while they were there they also banded three hemoroids (ouch that hurt). Following the colonoscopy I also learned that I now have a second tear. So that explains the increase in pain and discomfort. Since then I have found that while one fissure has occasionally healed the other just wont heal and then sometimes they are both torn at the same time (double ouch).
After the colonoscopy I then did everything I could to try and heal it without surgery. I ate well, drank litres of water, soaked in the bath regularly, used the Rectogesic four or five times a day (the headaches were a killer) and at one point i just about stopped eating just to avoid a bowel movement (mind you that didn't last too long as I like my food and I don't carry much excess weight in the first place so it wasn't really a long term solution) but I have come to the realisation that unless I want to live the rest of my life being ruled by my bowel movements that I am up to a point where surgery is my best chance of returning to having a normal life. It's not just the pain and discomfort but it's also having a massive imapct on my relationship with my husband. He is sympathetic and supportive but I can see its wearing thin. I am very nervous about having surgery as the one and only time in my life i have had surgery was to have some wisdom teeth removed as a 22 year old which was some 18 years ago.
I have read lots of posts on here of people having the surgery and having very mixed results and expeirences but most people seem to have had their surgery in the UK or USA and so I am wondering if there's anyone out there in Australia who has had the surgery and what their experiences might have been?