CRS said fissure looks great, almost all healed. Noticed incision site was still a bit sensitive but no pus or drainage when she stretched it but she's putting me on two anti-biotics as a preventative in case "I'm brewing an infection". No signs of infection now, but curious why I am doing anti- biotics.
She said if it still hurts by next week give her a call back and make another appt otherwise I am all set. Thought there would be at least one more follow up.
It only hurts when I touch it (wipe or clean with q tip) and was kinda hoping she'd say (tenderness there is normal, no worries) but I guess she kind of didn't.
Anyone else go on anti-biotics after three week or one month checkup? I REALLY don't think I could handle an infection because that means another surgery she told me a month ago or so. Said if it gets infected she has to go back in and "pop it open" under anasthesia during outpatient surgery again.
I freak out about everything so don't mind me. Just wondering if anyone else has been in my situation.

Hey Lurker! I'd take all this as great news. The incision site can be a bit tender for a while, so try not to worry too much about that. It looks like your doc is being very responsive to your concerns, which I think is a good thing.
I was given anti-biotics about three weeks post-op; but I had undoubtedly developed an infection (there was pus and swelling - unmistakable). Not to freak you out even more (I tend to freak out pretty easily myself :D ), but if you do develop an abscess, that is not as bad as it sounds. When I developed my abscess and fistula, I thought it was the end of the world! (I had a good long cry!) But the operation was a breeze and recovery was pretty smooth. I was able to get back to my life after about 10 days - and I'd say my recovery was a bit slow because a year of living with the fissure had really undermined my health.
Try not to worry. It sounds like you are doing very well and that you are infection-free ... but even the worst-case-scenario isn't the horrible nightmare it sounds like. Nothing I went through complication-wise was nearly as bad as the fissure itself! :D

So the anti-biotics didn't work for you huh? I'm sorry to hear that. I'm hoping they are simply preventative for me. I assume she saw "something" that made her prescribe them although she said there was no pus or drainage she said. But maybe it was swollen? Will anti-biotics take away swelling?
Was the surgery to fix infection as involved as regular surgery and did it take as long to recover? Wouldn't I have a fever or something with an infection? I have two long work trips I can't get out of in December and January so if infected can surgery be pushed off?

Hi Lurker - it's entirely possible that your doc just gave you the antibiotics as a preventative measure and that there were no signs of infection. The anti-biotics didn't work for me - probably because I was too far along. Apparently, once there is a pocket of pus, antibiotics can't touch it and it has to be drained. The surgery (fistulotomy) was about the same as an LIS. It was done as an outpatient procedure. I found the recovery less difficult than recovering from the LIS. I was pretty good in about a week, but I still took it easy for two weeks - mostly because, as I said, I was really wiped out from my fissure ordeal. Generally, I'd say that the fistulotomy wasn't bad at all, and I could have gone back to work in a week if I'd had to. The real inconvenience was tending to the wound - lots of baths and being diligent about keep the butt clean and dry!
You don't have to have a fever to have an infection. In fact, if you do develop a fever, that means the infection has become systemic, and that's dangerous, so don't wait for an infection to progress to that stage. My surgeon said I didn't need the surgery right away, since my fistula was very superficial and low, there was pretty much no chance that it would track anywhere else. However, if you do develop an infection/abscess/fistula, then the timing of surgery is really something to discuss with your doc so that you can do what is best for your situation.
It's good to be prepared, but I'm going to bet that you don't have to worry about any of this. I have a good feeling that you are going to heal up just fine with none of these complications. :D

Thanks hope, I sure am praying for no infection. I am on day two of anti-biotics (they leave awful taste) and am keeping things as clean as I can. I guess I just don't know how I'll know if they are working or were needed? She said if it still hurts next week after 7 days of anti-biotics to come back and see her but if there's still no pus or drainage then what can she do? How can she tell if there's infection or not?
Very confused and anxious, I apologize in advance.

Hey Lurker. I'm not sure how the doc can tell if there's an infection. I think they can see if the area is red and can feel swelling. But I actually think that you will know better than anybody if there is something wrong. You know your body better than anybody else. So I'd say trust your instincts. In my case, I could tell there was an infection. I think you'll know too. But try not to stress yourself out - being in a positive head space is really important for healing.
I hope you're doin well!

I'm trying not to worry, doing my best. Isn't it normal for the incision to still be sore and sensitive when wiping deep or having your saintly wife clean the incision area with a q tip and water 3+ weeks after surgery or should I feel like I have a brand new butt already and everything should be perfect?

Hey Lurker - I'm sorry to say that the brand new butt feeling doesn't happen right away (no matter how much of a saint your wonderful wife is! God bless our spouses!). Don't worry if your butt doesn't feel perfect just yet. Healing is a slow process. Many boardies here say that it takes at least a year, and sometimes even two years, before things feel normal again. Some great advice here says to measure progress in weeks, not days, during the initial phase of recovery. I would add that we should measure 'normalization' in months, not weeks. You will have to be very nice to your butt for a good long while. But don't despair! Things do improve. The process is just very gradual.