Hi there,

I have been lurking around for the past few weeks. This forum has been very very helpful! Thank you all for your contribution.

Background:
I had a gradually developing fissure in the second week of Nov'16. I was out of the country and ate incredibly spicy food for 3 days and didn't drink enough water after a 24 hour plane journey. This probably caused the fissure. I don't have any digestive issues as such though. I had the same thing happen to me twice before (3 and 6 years ago) but both times I healed spontaneously in two weeks without any creams. This time I haven't been so lucky so I have decided to go to a top rated surgeon and have scheduled my surgery for the 12th.

Question:
The doctor explained to me about the cut that he would be making to relax the muscle and that he would be performing a Sphincterotomy. He also told me that he would be cleaning the fissure up and will remove scar tissue there. When I came back and started reading about surgery experiences, it sounded like I am getting a fissurectomy along with LIS. Does it seem so? After reading the experiences from the combo surgery I am really worried about the pain levels after the surgery and the recovery. I do plan to ask the doctor before the surgery but should I ask him to not touch the fissure at all? Any thoughts?

Hi,angryF, sorry your suffering. Many doctors will do a Botox and fissurectomy before they do LIS, but there is no reason you should be in more pain just because you have them together, In fact it will probably help you heal quicker. The fissure will be slower to heal if there are jagged edges or scar tissue there. After the LIS you shouldn't really be able to spasm and most people are pain free with a week or so.
When I had a fissurectomy with Botox I was out of pain after two weeks but LIS works much quicker Botox has to kick in so to speak. My recovery after LIS took longer but only due to an IBS flare up

Thanks mypb, that's reassuring! Thank you for your contributions to this forum. You have helped so many people.
My doctor is the head of colon and rectal department at a top rated hospital here so I trust his skills. I have been in painful spasms for the last 8 weeks but thankfully for me, a 600mg dose of ibuprofen after a BM has been helping me a lot. I hope I don't get much worse than what I am now (before I get better eventually)

Thanks really appreciate that
That's probably why he's going straight for LIS as Botox is often just a step to LIS.
If your in full on spasms then I'm sure you will find immediate improvement if not relief. Most people who have LIS never have a spasm again...I'm unlucky because my fissure is so long they couldn't cut the full length plus my IBS didn't help lol
Keep taking the ibuprofen if it's working for you