I've had fissure pain on ad off for 3 years. I went to my regular doc and he perscribed 2.5% hydrocortisone and sent me on my way. Over the past 3 years I've delt with the pain on and off and I developed a fingernail sized skin tag to boot. About 4 weeks ago, I had a severe bout with my "little friend" that was almost unbearable and I decided I had enough. I called my doctor, he looked at me and said it was an irritated skin tag....so I went to a dermatologist that said he couldn't remove the skin tag because it was a hemerroid....then I was sent to a gastro doc and said I should see a surgeon. After all of this running around with a sore butthole and bleeding with bowel movements, I got an appointment with a surgeon. I researched and I told him I think its a fissure....and if my bunghole was a clock it was at about 10 o'clock. He checked it out and said "yep, its a fissure..." it was chronic due to the scar tissue he could see and the skin tag was a sentinel pile. He said I had the fissure because my second spincter was too tight and I was not getting proper blood flow for it to heal.....he basically called me a tight ass! LOL! So he recommended the surgery to fix it. My biggest fear was incontinence....he assured me that he has done so many of these proceedures that I won't have that problem. SO.....I had the surgery on January 4th....it is now the 8th and I almost feel normal.
I get to the day surgery center and I have to admit....I was scared to death. I never had surgery before and I've read the horror stories about this surgery, so I was a little aprehensive. Honestly, the worst part was the IV! I almost passed out....I'm 33 year old male that wrestled and played football and I almost lost it from an IV! So after that I walked down to the room and met the nurses and saw the doctor.....it was go time! I laid on the bed, they put warm blankets on me....then the anesthesiologist asked me if I wanted to holf my oxygen mask.....then I woke up in recovery. I looked down and I was in cheese cloth boxer briefs with my man parts 90% visible. I stood up and felt the gauze in my crack....and I was checking myself out, my wife walks in and instantly starts laughing! I figured i have to make lite of the situation so I started dancing singing "baby got back" as I shook my ass for my wife....the whole recovery room was laughing!
When I got home I was kind of out of it, so I slept all day and night until the next day. I woke up and the first thing I noticed was....NO PAIN! I was almost in shock. I got up....bent over infront of my mirrored closet door to check it out....and all I saw was a nice looking...no skin tag hanging butthole.....with guaze in it. Then I remembered that the doc said the packed gause will come out with my first BM. The whole day went by...no movement. So I took Miralax and ate 3 fiber one bars through out the day.....I only took one pain pill and I was fine....off to bed I went. Then....it happened, I got the urge to go! Almost with the chills of a fever from fear, I sat down....then.....poop came out....and it didn't hurt! The guaze came out and poop followed and it felt normal. The only pain I experienced was from wiping after. I have a little leakage after my BMs, but the doc said it will be that way for about a week, not to worry. So hear I am....sitting, typing this 4 days later just to let you guys thinking about this surgery to just do it. I have a good pain tolerance, but I'm a big baby when it know its coming! I think I should be 100% in about a week. I actually went out last night and had a couple of cocktails!
In Summary:
1. Had a fissure, developed a skin tag and had pain and blood with BMs on and off for 3 years
2. Was sooooooo nervous to have the surgery, I almost backed out
3. Had the surgery (Fissurectomy and LIS)
4. Was NO WHERE as bad as I thought....the worst pain was a 2-3 out of 10
5. Recovering nicely
6. Want everyone to know that if a surgeon that knows what he is doing preforms the operation, it is easy peasy!