Well, my surgery was scheduled for today, but I called yesterday and backed out. I couldn't get any reassurance as to how the surgery would go and if I could be functional by 1/3. Another thing that nagged at me was the fact that I was going to use a general surgeon vs. a CRS. I read many things on here which said it really needed to be done by a CRS. I couldn't bear the thought of potentially making something worse by someone maybe not as qualified. I'm not mentally prepared right now. Of course, last night I woke up with very bad spasms in my rectum. I'm not sure if this is fissure related or not. I have them maybe once every 2-3 months. They are fleeting and if I get on a heating pad they go away almost as quickly as they come. So now I'm in limbo again. I have called to see about getting a referral to a CRS. I'll take things from there. Hope everyone is still recovering well and I pray you all are getting the relief you desired.

The doctor(s) will always be there with their scalpels when you are ready. Good luck!! I think the mental part is crucial. Although I haven't had LIS, I think one must be mentally ready for any surgery!!

I agree with Cheryl. If your not mentally ready then it's probably not a good time.

reidgirl wrote:Another thing that nagged at me was the fact that I was going to use a general surgeon vs. a CRS. I read many things on here which said it really needed to be done by a CRS. I couldn't bear the thought of potentially making something worse by someone maybe not as qualified.

I agree, you should have it done by a CRS instead. My GI even said so.

Ya, I think seeking out a well qualified CRS would be worth the time. I would also think this would help you prepare more mentally having somebody that does frequent LIS's and deals with people with fissure's on a daily basis.
Having a deadline of when you need to be "healed" would also probably put undo stress on the whole situation. It does suck you need to wait until summer but at least you will have plenty of time to focus on healing when you decide the time is right.

I called for a referral to a CRS today from the original Dr who did my colonoscopy (part of the undiagnosed phase I went through). They said general surgeons do this surgery way more than a CRS and they wouldn't give me a referral because it's been over a year since I've seen them. Is there any way possible a chronic fissure can be healed without surgery?????

Reidgirl, it's understandable if you were doubting anything.
It sure wouldn't hurt to interview some general surgeons and see how many they do and what they can tell you.

i don't want to say you can never heal a chronic fissure but with God (or your higher power) anything is possible.
on the other hand, the struggle to get to that place - let's just say you could heal it but it would take you 20 years of ass pain, bleeding, softners, fiber supplements, etc., would that be worth it to you?
who knows?
i try to be optimistic.
there is nothing wrong with waiting it out reidgirl and see if you can change your course of pain into one of continuous healing that could possibly lead to healing.
complete healing possibly.
i thought i was.
and all it took was one constipated trip with a big BM to bring me right back...although i am not completely right back to square one.

Reidgirl,
I would call your primary care doctor and tell them you have been diagnosed with a fissure already and you need a referral to a crs. If that doesn't work, then I would research and call a crs to get an appointment with myself. Tell them on the phone you have already been diagnosed with a fissure and scheduled for LIS but you want a second opinion or you want to see a crs for this kind of surgery. I have no doubt, they'll see you.
My husband had ear trouble for 2 years, he didn't get a referral to a specialist so I looked in the phone book and made him an appointment with one...
I wasn't referred to a GI that I used before. I was referred to a whole different office and chose another doctor.
As Happy said God can heal anything in my opinion and I prayed for my healing for months, but it doesn't always come in the form we want it or in our timing. Gods plan for me was to be healed through surgery.
As far as conservative treatments go for chronic fissures, it's virtually impossible in my opinion, but I guess anything can happen. It just depends on how long you can hold out and see.
Take care,
Dawn

Reidgirl, you made the decision that you felt was right for you. That's not chickening out. That's making the right call. If it makes you feel any better, my LIS was scheduled for a Monday, and I canceled it on the Friday before ... then called my surgeon on Sunday and asked her to put me back on schedule. LOL. How's that for indecision?
I'd agree with everyone else that the surgery is probably best done by a CRS. That having been said, the flip side is that it's a relatively minor surgery in the grand universe of surgeries, and general surgeons probably do have decent experience with it. So if you end up going through a general surgeon, there's no reason to think it wouldn't be successful. Some board members that used to be here have had LIS by general surgeons and have done very well. Still, if you have the choice, CRS are the butt experts and would be the best bet.
I don't know why the doc's office would give you a hard time about a CRS referral. Do you have PPO insurance? If so, you can self refer to a specialist, so long as the CRS office doesn't require a referral (some might). If you're not under PPO and are under something like a HMO, then maybe the office legitimately needs to have seen you within the last year in order to refer you. A lot of times, a face-to-face visit within the last year is required in order to refer patients, refill drugs, etc. If that's the case, you could always go in for an office visit and then demand the referral, right? There should be a way to swing it somehow. On the other hand, if they're only willing to refer you to a general surgeon but not a CRS, then maybe it's time to consider a new doc... Whatever route you end up going, only do the surgery when you're comfortable with it. That way there are no regrets whatsoever.
As other have said, once you've had a chronic fissure for a while, they become very difficult to heal conservatively. But nothing is impossible. If you want to wait and see, that's okay too. Sometimes fissures can develop complications but it's rare. I personally exhausted every conservative measure possible before going for LIS, and that was important for my peace of mind going in.