So I’m coming up on 4 weeks post op in a couple days. I meet with my CRS on Monday for the first time since the procedure and so far it still feels just as bad as the day before the surgery. I’m still keeping my BMs soft. Having a BM, the initial part is tight and sore getting it out and then it all falls out while not straining at all. Then (just as before the surgery) the whole region gets sore and tight within an hour or 2 and stays that way for 5-7 hours. Sitting down post BM is do-able but definitely annoying and aggravating. I have my BMs in the evening, so I still experience some mild soreness and tightness through the early afternoon the following day. Then in the evening I just start the whole process over again. Some days are more severe than others, but I’m really not seeing any improvement overall.
One of the things that has bothered me from the beginning is that this whole time I’ve barely seen a drop of blood. Especially in the early days post op. Only a drop on the toilet paper after whipping during the first weak. I was expecting to experience a lot of drainage the first couple of weeks from what I’ve read through most other posts, especially since the weakened sphincter muscle is supposed to allow increased blood flow. feel like this coupled with the fact that it still tightens after a BM is a pretty good indication that mine was not cut enough. Has anyone else been this far out post op and not yet seen any sign of improvement? I’m certainly anxious to see what my CRS says on Monday, but I almost feel like I should pursue a new CRS afterwards regardless of what he says. It took a lot for me to take the plunge to have that surgery and I feel like if he wasn’t capable of doing it properly the first time, then I should have it done again by someone else. I’m interested to hear what anyone’s thoughts might be on my situation. Does it sound like the procedure was a failure or is it too early?

I'm so sorry you're still in pain. I had LIS in 2008 but after a month I realized it didn't work for me. I continued to suffer for 5 years and then I just couldn't take it anymore. I went back to my CRS and it was explained to me that I had severe stenosis and needed advancement flap surgery. I didn't have a choice anymore because I couldn't pass anything larger than a pea. I had to have two flaps done and I had a long recovery but I wish I wouldn't have been so scared and done it sooner. It's was a challenging recovery because my donor sites were left open but it wasn't as painful as the pain before surgery. I'm over 2 years out now and while things will never be perfect they are much better. I still take miralax daily but only a teaspoon. I've had to cut back on fiber too. My only complaint is that the donor site that have healed nicely can sometimes get sensitive but I use a little zinc there and it's good. Make an appointment to see your doctor to see what's going on and if he doesn't answer your questions find another doctor.
Keep being aggressive with your treatment and you will find something that works for you. I wish you all the best and hope the pain is soon a thing of the past. Suzy

Buttproblemz, you might like to read Suzy's thread which follows below. Her surgery was a lot more complicated, but this gives her recovery period. I did not have surgery, but I DID do dilation, and much as it was difficult at first, it has helped me tremendously with the spasms. With this wretched problem, we have to think out of the box!

Here is the link:

i-had-my-surgery-this-morning-t6565.html

Thank you Suzy and Savaici. I hope it never gets to the point where I need to have what Suzy had. At this point though I'm fully invested and willing to do whatever it takes. I've had this problem now for 8 months and I can't imagine still dealing with it for another 4 or 5 years.

I don't know about the possibility of me having that stenosis problem, but I really have felt that since the first couple of days post op that my CRS did not cut enough of my sphincter muscle. At no point did I really see any blood nor did I feel even remotely close to losing control of gas or BM. Not that I seek out any of those things, but I would much rather experience those sort of problems than deal with this pain anymore.