I'm considering seeing another doctor to get a 2nd opinion on what could be wrong with me. This doctor is a specialist in dealing with "butt problems". It's not covered by my insurance so it's expensive, but i'm desperate. The dr i've been seeing (the one who did my first surgery and will do my 2nd) is the assistant chief of general surgery at Kaiser - so he deals with fissures a lot but doesn't specialize in it. I just don't know how much faith i have in him after my 1st unsuccessful surgery.
Anyway, the specialist said that they will do an endoscopy at my appt. This is something my dr at Kaiser has never done (not even before my 1st surgery) - i thought b/c it might make the fissure worse. At this point I feel like something else might be wrong so an internal exam would be best, but i'm SO WORRIED about hurting the fissure.
Has anyone had any exam like this done while they had a fissure?? Is it horribly painful?

I haven't had one done (I got a colonoscopy though and so have several others ont he board. Experiences have been mixed), but I did want to mention that I have Kaiser too. I had to INSIST on seeing a colorectal surgeon because not every facility has one. The first guy I was recommended to was the meanest dr. I have ever met. He wouldn't listen to a word I said, though he pretended to. I had to REFUSE to see that guy again and DOUBLY INSIST to see another. I felt like a major ****, but I'm so glad I did it. The second one was fantastic! He listened, helped me think through my ordeal, and gave me the botox I had been requesting for months from the other drs. After thinking things through, he agreed that it might help, and probably wouldn't hurt. It did help. I mention this because it underlines for me the huge importance of seeing a specialist who actually listens to you and helps you work through your problems/fears. I have to drive an hour to see him but it's so worth it!!

Like a colonoscopy, an endoscopy might help diagnose your problem. I had a colonoscopy, but it didn't help diagnose mine because the problem was under the skin, not visible through the imaging. I think there is some sort of ultrasound device that drs. use when they are tring to trace fistula tracts/abscesses. In retrospect, that would have been helpful to my case.

Before getting the endoscopy, you might try insisting to see a specialist.

hmmmm, an endoscopy is a tube going thru your mouth so i haven't had that done.
the colonoscopy was a breeze and it was like having nothing happen; just blacking out for a while and then waking up relieved that i got through it but looking back on it, i should have not been anxious about a thing.
if you haven't had a colonoscopy done, get it done instead. for me, it didn't bother my fissure and whatever else down there and i swear, that for me, it was as if i had the best couple of months after the procedure was done down there!
the colonoscopy should be covered under your plan if you have proven files that you have been thru CRS and other doctors for this fissure issue. it would be negligent for the doctors/insurance to deny this if it could be other issues leaving you in the condition that you are in.