Saturday will be a year since I had double advancement flaps done. Wow. I haven't posted under success stories because I just don't want to jinx myself.
It's been quite a journey but worth it. I can't believe I suffered for almost 6 years with an anal fissure and the awful spasms. I tried just about everything including LIS. In the end anoplasty was the only option I had left and yet I kept postponing it. I put in on hold for 5 years because of my fear when I should have gone ahead and had it done sooner but you live and learn I guess. I'm so grateful to my CRS. He explained every single step to me and he was a great comfort when I felt so down. In my case the fissure was the result of stenosis from hemmie surgery. Just treating the fissure was never going to work that's why I kept retearing.
The flaps helped so much by making the opening larger and stretchable. I'll probably never be able to have a super sized bm but I do go pretty normal now. Because of all of the surgery I do have to be careful, the area is still easily irritated but it doesn't last long. I have another year on full recovery.. I still dilate once a day and it's just a part of my morning routine now. Once in a great while I'll feel a little tight especially if I had a few bouts of diarrhea but I'm not tight, I can still dilate and pass for me a normal bm. I can get a little burning too from too many bms a day but that doesn't last either. I am glad the donor sites were left open to heal because I do get a little pulling now and then. If my CRS would have closed those sites the pulling from surgical scar tissue would not have been good. I'm not sure what the name of my procedure was but it wasn't the house flap or the V-Y flap.
My CRS told when I hit the year mark I could ride a bike again and that's exactly what I've started to do. I found this stress free bike seat and it's great, doesn't touch any areas from my surgery. It looks a little weird but it's comfortable.
To any one out there that has a fissure that hasn't healed or hasn't stay healed don't give up hope. Talk to your doctor and find out all your options, if you don't like what your doctor has to say find a new one but don't give up. If you've had any hemmie surgery consider stenosis too. It's a very common side effect of that surgery and the sooner you address it the better you'll be. Another little tip I learned from my mom. The surgical site can get tender even after it heals, she told me to rub a little castor oil into the area because it softens scar tissue. At first I thought no way but then I gave it a try. Works wonders. I told my family doctor and she said that's an old remedy for scar tissue and joint pain and it works great. Good luck to all of you who are on the road to recovery and to those who are just starting your journey. Don't give up. All the best Suzy