Had LIS surgery yesterday! I wish I would have done it sooner. Absolutely no pain yesterday, today a little sore. They injected me with exparel, it has done wonders. It's a numbing medication that lasts 96 hours. I wasn't home with any pain meds because of constipation but advil has helped.
Please, if ur suffering from a fissure and have exhausted all options please do the surgery. My pain waso unbearable for hours after a BM. I had brain surgery last year and this was by far way worse.

Hey Happy, thanks so much for sharing your story. My fissure experience seems like its been very similar to yours, and I'm having LIS in a few weeks so your posts have really helped me know what to expect. Also I can't believe you did it without them putting you under...I think I would be going crazy with anxiety if I had to stay conscious for the surgery. Anyway, I hope you are continuing to feel better and aren't bothered by your hemorrhoids anymore.

Hey Hopingforhealing, I am glad my posts were helpful. I benefitted in the same way reading other people's posts a few weeks ago.

UPDATE:

It's been exactly 8 weeks since my surgery, time for another update.

The good:
I have been pain free ever since the surgery, which is amazing. There was some little pain the day following surgery, but it was manageable with ibuprofen. I still don't comprehend how the surgery basically switched the pain off. So, in that respect I am wonderful. No pain whatsoever, also not during BM. Also, no incontinence whatsoever.

The bad:
What could be really "bad" here if I am pain free? I guess I should call it areas of concern, or yet to be met expectations.
1. Surgery had caused thrombosed hemorrhoids for me, which I presented to the CRS too late an she did nothing about it. It was unpleasant, but not painful. She told me the body would absorb the blood clots within 6-8 weeks and that has pretty much happened. However, i am left with some extra skin down there, which makes wiping a bit more cumbersome.
2. The surgical incision has not fully healed, which according to my CRS is most unusual. She has never see this happen before. My incision is on the outside, and there is still a small open gash. It's not painful, I could sit on it all day long. But the CRS is worried that a "crevasse" in such a sensitive area could spell all sorts of trouble. She wants to wait and see what happens, and I can decide to have it fixed anytime. Since it's outside the anus is should not be very painful. I am postponing that decision to 2017.
3. I am still taking extra fiber and one stool softener per day. I don't mind the fiber, but would want to get off the stool softener eventually. Not so soon I guess, because there is still some blood sometimes. That's very strange, as it had completely stopped for a week or so. It's only after BM, first / second wipe. I don't know if the blood is from the old fissure (quite concerning), new fissures (equally concerning), or the yet to fully heal incision wound (not concerning, as it will eventually heal one way or the other). The biggest worry is that LIS would have no long term effect and the sphincter is getting tight again. I have gone back to consuming coffee, and that might have firmed up the stool a bit too much. Also, that sometimes requires light pressing during BM. So the logical decision for me would be to watch my diet better, quit the coffee. That was no problem back in the days when I was suffering. But now that there is no pain, it's really hard. At the same time I am telling myself not to be stupid, and just stop drinking caffeine.

Conclusion: Overall, surgery was still an immensely good decision and I have seen major improvement.

More updates to come in due time. Wishing everybody on here continued progress and healing.

Hi Happy,
How are you doing these days? I just had a LIS today and was reading your experience. It is very helpful. Thank you.

Here is my three month update (a few days early i guess):
1. No pain whatsoever.
2. Still taking fiber and one stool softener
3. My surgery incision closed up a few weeks ago. That had been a worry, since it took a long time. There is a small skin tag there now.
4. Overall, thrombosed hems / skin tags have been completely re absorbed, but left extra skin, also on the inside. This requires wiping with wet toilet paper. It's a bit cumbersome, also needing to wipe a bit inside. I am not hopeful that this will ever change on its own. Strangely, during the fissure days, i could stick my finger in and feel the fissure. Now I seem to feel something that's even rougher. But at last check the CRS told me she does not feel the fissure at all anymore. My own guess is that this is scar tissue. Doesn't bother me, but I am hoping it will not be a problem in the future.
5. Bleeding stopped a few weeks ago, and I was shocked to see blood for two days, only a few days ago. It was after a little bit of straining during BM , following a long trip (20+ hrs). Lesson learned: Do not strain whenever avoidable!
6. I have always been convinced that healing takes time, and while I feel great I have no illusions that I continue to have to take great care to keep things soft and regular. At least for a year, I am telling myself.

My bottom line from earlier posts does not change: LIS was the right choice for me, the recovery 10 times easier than anticipated, and I should have just done it a lot earlier!

Misty789, how are you doing?

My 4 month plus 1 week update:
Not much to say really, things are great. If you read my previous posts, then you will already know: no pain, all healed, some extra skin.
In mid December there was a tiny blood streak on the toilet paper, after being a bit constipated, after a long trip. Nothing like that since.
I keep taking Fibre, and will probably do that forever. It just makes the BM so effortless. And in hindsight, all my problems were probably caused by pushing, 30-40 years in a row.
Ever since LIS I also don't have an itchy anus anymore, which I had had for 20+ years. In hindsight, that was probably caused by "inflated" veins, again, caused by pushing. Getting to the "bottom" of that itchy bottom by process of eliminating foods (coffee, tomato, etc) lead to nothing.
And by the way, I am back to eating/drinking everything, including coffee daily.

Only area of concern now: there is scar tissue on the inside, I can feel that with my finger. Scar tissue is weaker than regular tissue, so it's a potential weak spot. I would like to change that. Has anybody tried DSMO down there to remove scar tissue?