Hi Everyone
It is such a lifeline to have found this support group! That’s the first thing I wanted to say.
The second is my story and where I’m at now. I have been suffering with anal fissures, on and off for a year and half now. I first got a real painful one last year April. I changed my diet big time, basically cut out most stuff and lived on boiled vegetables. I managed to keep my stool soft and the fissure subsided after a few weeks. It would resurface in a minor way now and again and I would switch back to just veges and it would fade.
However, this July it came back big time. It had been playing up a little in June and I tried the diet thing, I then got a bad case of tonisillitus and I couldn’t eat much, that’s when it returned. I had a holiday booked for the following week and it was really tough. I started taking a stool softener but couldn’t control my diet as much as I would’ve liked out there. When I came back, I went onto the vegetable, high fibre, lots of water and lactulose diet. It took about a month to get some relief from the morning pain that would last about 6 hours. I’d have a week when things were ok and then bam a harder stool than usual out of nowhere and it came back. It has been so demoralising. The pain is as most of you have experienced excruciating. I lost a load of weight and I was slim to begin with. It shocked me when someone said I looked like I had eating disorders. I was a vege and began introducing meat and some carbs. I enjoy food and was hungry a lot of the time.
Anyway, a few months later I still have a really painful fissure. My mornings are awful and at times, I feel like my life has switched to nightmare mode. It has had a big impact on my life and what I can and cant do i.e. I cant stay over with friends/boyfriend as need baths and have a multiple BMs in the mornings. The biggest impact has been the anxiety, but I’m trying to control it. There are good things in my life but this is really taking it’s toll.
I recently tried diltiazem cream and had reaction to it, burning, pain and bleeding. I know this is unusual, but it felt like it made things worse. After being afraid of surgery, I now think that’s the next thing for me. Its been really helpful to read everyone’s experiences. I’m feeling positive about the LIS (it goes me hope that there is at least that option out there although it certainly doesn’t sound pleasant). I don’t think I’d like to have a fissurectomy and my CRS said he thinks I should just have the LIS. I considered botox, but I don’t want to get a short term solution and end up having to have an LIS anyway.
I’m just wondering about the LIS incision site. Where about is it and does it stretch with a BM or is it usually far outside enough to not get pulled open like the fissure. I’d really appreciate any insights.
S

Hi Shakeit! Your story sure sounds familiar! Many of us have gone through exactly what you describe. I'm so sorry you are suffering so much. I know the pain! But it's great that you are considering an LIS. Diltiazem didn't work for me either, but the LIS did. The incision site is just on the anal verge -- kinda half in and half out. It will be on one side of the other. So if the butt hole is a clock, the top (neart the genitals) is twelve o'clock and the bottom (near the spine) is 6 o'clock, then the incision will be either at 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock (that's why they call it 'lateral'). Cutting at 12 or 6 o'clock is very bad because the sphincter muscles are thinner in those places and so cutting there can cause incontinence.
The incision usually heals in a week or two - much faster than the fissure, which usually heals in 6-8 weeks or more. The incision will stretch a bit with BMs. But don't worry abou that. In fact, it's better if the incision doesn't heal too quickly, as I found out. Mine healed too fast, but it healed forming a 'roof' over the incision, so I ended up developing a small abscess and then a small fistula, which, happily, was fixed up pretty quick by another minor surgery (which was about the same as the LIS). Don't let that scare you - that can be a complication of an LIS, but it's pretty rare. Just us lucky folks get to have two butt surgeries! :D
I hope that helps with your questions. I'm sure others will chime in to add more useful info. :)

Hi Hopetoheal, thank you so much for your response. It has definitely helped calm my fear. I'm quite sure I'm going to go ahead with the LIS. I just need to get it booked in. Sounds like despite your two surgeries you are on the home run. Glad to hear it :)

Thanks Shakeit - it was one heck of a fight, but I'm glad I did it because I know I wouldn't have healed without the surgeries and life was just getting too horrible.
I'm glad you are prepared to go ahead with the LIS. Surgery is a very personal decision, but you know when it's right for you. I went in to my surgeon with a list of questions I developed after I read many, many posts on this forum. Dawn often recommends that people ask in particular how many LISs the doctor has done and how many complications they have had. I think that's very important to ask also - to make sure that the CRS is very experienced and has not made anyone incontinent. I asked my surgeon about possible complications (like infections and recurrence) and what he would do about any complication if it happened. You should feel a lot better about the surgery if the doc gives you good answers to your questions.
Keep us posted and good luck!

Thanks for the question suggestions. I have noted them down and will ask. I'm at that knowing its right for me point. Deep breath.

I had LIS surgery and it took 8 weeks and the fissure did heal. There is a chance though that you could contract C-Diff infection in your intestines. I did, and they had to put me on a drug called Flagyl to get rid of it. Now my rectum is always sore, and i do not know why? Mine would not have healed without surgery though.

Shakeit,

I was terrified of surgery, and I went through Hell with a fissure for about 2 1/2 - 3 years. I finally submitted to LIS, and it was a snap. With me, there was absolutely not fissure pain after the surgery. From the moment I woke up to over two years later, I am completely pain-free, and I don't have to be on a strict diet to remain pain-free. LIS ranks right up there with one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.