Hi,
Thanks for adding me to the forum. To introduce myself, I'm a 38 year old female and have had 2 fissures since the birth of my third son nearly 2 years ago.
After trying the creams and botox (the botox worked, until it wore off), I got to the point of taking the LIS surgery, which I had 5 days ago.
All has been good pain wise - BMs aren't painful any more and apart from the first 24 hours, I've been fine.
However, I'm worried about leakage. I'm still bathing after every BM (which is either once or twice a day) and in the evening before going to bed. I am clean afterwards. However, 2 or 3 hours later, I wipe and there is poo on the toilet paper (even though I haven't had a BM). Not enough to mark my pants or anything, but it feels like I've had a BM and not wiped (when I know I have).
I'm really worried. I've got a follow up appointment with the consultant in 6 weeks. As I say, everything is better, but the slight leakage is my biggest concern. My husband says I am still healing and recovering and to give it time.
Any ideas if this will continue? Is slight leakage post operation usual or am I doomed to this forever?
Thanks so much,
Ipadmad

Hi Ipadmad. Welcome to the forum. I am so glad you got through the surgery and are having great pain relief. I have to tell you please don't worry about the leakage. This is totally normal so soon after your surgery. Are you keeping your stools quite loose? This is good for healing but can make for more leakage. Right after surgery the sphincter can be quite loose but it is rather amazing how it can recover and even become tight again. There was even a study done that showed by 6 months, most of the tone has returned to he sphincter. I speak from personal experience too. I had LIS 7 months ago and things are a lot tighter than they were in the first few months after surgery, especially the first couple of weeks. Of course, everyone is different, but in all likelihood the leakage will stop soon. You also may have leakage due to swelling in the area and the poo being able to hide out in there post-BM. Have you noticed much swelling? Was your surgeon and experienced CRS (colorectal surgeon) who has done a lot of sphincterotomies?

Msimon, you've just made me day, thank you (I've been crying on my husband an hour ago for fear that I will now feel unclean down there forever). I am keeping my stools loose yes (eating pretty much just fish, jacket potatoes, veg, salad and porridge and a huge glass of prune juice every evening!). It's reassuring to know the sphincter recovers a bit of the tone back. As I say, there isn't much there, it's just the wipe has it on. I really hope it improves with time, but you've given me hope that it should, so thank you.
I have been swollen yes, but it is a bit better today. I have a few tags (one large tag that swells up from time to time, even before the surgery, I had occasional leakage when it was swollen). That large tag did swell up the day after having the surgery (to the point where it is uncomfortable to sit on my bottom in the bath, so I have to lie slightly on my side). However, the tag doesn't feel as swollen today. The whole area feels much better today. And as I say, it isn't painful to poo. It's amazing that the whole sharp glass feeling has just gone.

As part of the pre-op, my consultant asked me if I had any incontinence with the botox. When I explained I had some from time to time, but just a bit on the paper in between BMs, he said it sounded like it was swollen and sore, rather than true incontinence and didn't seem concerned. My surgeon is the main colo-rectal man at our local NHS hospital yes, so very experienced.

It is so reassuring to hear some leakage is normal so soon after the op. Thank you so much for posting, I really appreciate you taking the time, thank you