Hi everyone . I thought I would post as this forum gave me a lot of solace when I was in a lot of pain. Hopefully my story can tell people there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

My fissure first flared up about three years ago and got progressively worse, ending up in a situation where I had a sentinel tag and was in a lot of pain. After long drives especially I'd be doubled up in pain and literally brought to tears. I know fissures are sometimes called passing glass and the stabbing feeling is the closest I think could describe it. It would normally kick in a couple of hours after passing a BM and would take a lot of ibuprofen just to even take the edge off. Last year I was passing a LOT of blood and despite a few trips to by GP , I kept just getting fobbed off with 'are you sure you haven't had a pile'.

Things culminated in a work medical where the doctor literally brought me to tears trying to do a prostrate exam and eventually I got a referral through my works private medical. When he first suggested a Sphincterotomy I was understandably nervous but two months on I can honestly say it's the best decision I've ever made.

I went in for the op early December and the Removed the tag as well as the Sphincterotomy . To manage expectations, I needed a full week off work. I do an office job and if you do manual work you might need longer . A couple of days after the op I was in a lot of pain and I was wondering whether it had all been worth it but after a couple of weeks it all settled down. It's now Feb and I don't have any soreness at all. I still have to be v careful on diet (particularly water intake ) and I take a Holland & Barrett fibre force tablet to try to keep things moving and avoid any recurrence. However, the main thing is no pain and no blood! If you are weighing up whether or not to go for the op, my advice would be go for it... I haven't looked back

Love to hear successful LIS stories. My decision to go for it last January (2015), was the best I've ever made and I've been enjoying my new life immensely for the past 13 months. So happy to hear that you're a happy camper too, and rid of the horrific pain that plagued us both.

Reading about post-fissure stories gave me the courage and strength I needed during the toughest of times.
So this is my story in brief.
Stressful period + poor diet brought about a fissure. Bms had always been regular and pain free. Always drank loads of water. Self-diagnosed as haemorrhoids, treated with ice. Still in pain.
About a month after spoke to gp who recommended protocsedyl ointment. Started searching online for alternative healing. Tried coconut oil, changed diet by eliminating pasta and dough, very little meat and loads of fibre. Pain still increasing.
Emergency visit at the hospital. Prescribed Antrolin. Helped a bit until pain became daily instead of occassionally. Was desperate, miserable and started starving myself. Another doctor recommended GTN. Tried it but didn't work either. Lost lots of weight.
Family was getting seriously worried. Missing work too. Could barely stand up. Sitz baths, almost scalding water helped, but not always. Tried ice which made me sore and intensified pain.
Now 4 days Post-lis I am hopeful. Surgery was done under general anaesthesia and relatively painless (except removal of gauze). Currently Bm without pain. Some continuous blood but bearable soreness. Keeping area clean and dry as much as possible.
Planning on keeping a high-fibre diet, drinking lots of water and trying to enjoy life to make up for the ordeal I went through for 5 months.
Gd luck fellow sufferers. My final advice is go for lis if suffering from chronic fissure.

Thank you for sharing your story OE.
I just had LIS couple says ago. Still sore and a bit of pain. No blood whatsoever. DI'd you have a blue bruise by the operated sphincter area? Is it normal. ? When were you able to drive ?