I have been suffering from an anal fissure since early 2006. Like many AF sufferers I had good, bad and very very bad times. I did everything right to try to heal it, high fiber diet, drinking a lot of water, no caffeine, no alcohol, but little things like working out would set me back in AF hell.
I went to see a GI and he confirmed that it was an AF and gave me nitro to try to heal it. It was almost next to impossible to find a pharmacy that would fill it. One place even demanded to see clinical trial data before they would fill it. It took me days before someone would fill it for me while that whole time I was in pain. I wished some very evil things to these people at the time. Anyway, the nitro helped and I was able to live a normal life but I was never 100% better.
In late 2007 things started to get bad and again and I suffered for months. I was getting married in April so I went to the GI again and begged for the nitro again. He gave it to me but wanted to perform a colonoscopy once I healed. The AF would just never full heal and I was not about to get a colonoscopy on my sore butt. I really did not think I needed a colonoscopy anyway. I am in my mid 20s, have no stomach problems, healthy, and have no family history of such problems. But if it did heal I would go ahead and get one, but it never did. Around September of 2008 I told them I was not getting any better and I wanted to this to end now. I can’t believe that they just told me to stay on a high fiber diet. What do you think I have been doing for the past 2 years? Idiots! By this time I became an AF expert and was convinced that the only way I could get better is by getting a LIS. In hindsight I am not sure why I asked my GI for recommendations but he highly recommended this one general surgeon.
I made sure I checked the surgeon out before he did anything, and everything checked out. He told me he has preformed this surgery many times before and I could be back at work the next day. Sounds good lets this baby started.
Nothing out of ordinary happened during my first LIS. They put you under and the next thing you know you are all finished. The only thing I thought was strange was that the surgeon did not even wait to talk to me after surgery. I was only left with a very brief description for post operative care. It never even said to take things like stool softeners or anything like that, but I have read online and I know better than that. I would hate to think what a less informed person would have done.
Anyway the first thing I noticed was that my butt was bused and swollen beyond belief, and they told me not to even ice it. Idiots! But I tried to stay upbeat and was like I can beat this, and in a few weeks I can eat that pizza and beer that I have craved for over a year. I did everything right, but by first BM was so painful that I nearly passed out. The muscle spasms were still there too. The whole reason for the LIS is to stop the spasms. It would take me an average of 4 hours to go to the bathroom. I would jump in and out of the bath tub and try not to hyperventilate from the extreme pain. My life was hell. My wife had to leave the house while I went to bathroom because she could not stand to hear my torturous screams of pain. The doctor had the nerve to say this is normal and I will get better. He told me to eat a lot of fruit. Thanks a lot you are great. After a month I finally got somewhat better, but still was no better than I was before the surgery.
I just want to be good again. I started some homeopathic remedies. Things got a little better but nothing good enough so I went to see another surgeon. This time I made sure that the person is Board Certified in both general and colorectal surgery. She was great she cared about my needs and said that either two things happened. I either have Crohn's disease or that the past surgeon LIS was incomplete. Because of my health history and because my fissure is located midline posterior she thought that the LIS was incomplete.
To make a long story short I had my 2nd LIS yesterday and I feel great. She said there was a lot of muscle left to be cut and she fixed the job of the other idiot messed up. No bruising like last time, and my first BM was not at all painful and I was off strong pain killers too. I think I am cured. Finally after 2 years. I am going to stay on fiber for the rest of my life, but I think my future looks bright, and I hope another doctor doesn’t have to look at my butt ever again.

Sounds like the first surgeon botched it, at least he didn't cut deep enough. Of course, cut too deep and the patient can't hold their crap anymore! But if you feel better already then the spasms are gone due to the correct cut and you should start healing immediately, and within 1-2 months almost like new. But you said you've become an AF expert through this experience so I'll hush!
We had a boardie recently who needed a second LIS because she didn't get a deep enough cut the first go-round. It happens, just when it happens to you it sucks!

Welcome Fissurerob !
What an awful time you have had of late
BUT i think your time is here now it great to hear you feel so much better this time round and most importantly no spasms !! RESULT
Heres to speedy healing and a new lease of life :D

Glad they got it right this time!
Wishing you a speedy recovery!

i also had 2 LIS surgeries. my surgeon didn't think he cut enough of the muscle either. it's no fun having multiple butt surgeries so i sympathize! i pray this one will do the trick for you. 1 year after my 2nd LIS i had to go in for a fissurectomy b/c mine never healed. it seems like your problem is spasms so LIS should help a lot. i'm glad you feel so good right after surgery. keep up the good attitude!

So happy for you, hope things will get better...
I like your story. Not what you've gone through, but the way you describe it.
Keep us posted on your healing process, a few of us are having LIS soon.
:) Corsica

Oh my goodness, what a nightmare you have been through. Where are you from? I can't believe they hadn't heard of diltiazem, good grief. It is so discouraging when you start to feel like you know more than your doctors do. I really wish one of us would just go to med school so we could hold @ss clinic.
I feel for you but I am so glad that you feel better now. I hope you will continue to improve and that this will never get the better of you again. I hate all that pat advice, like do you get enough fiber, water, etc? It is idiotic.
Take care and don't fret if you still have some bad days as you heal. Sounds like you have a much better doctor now and you have been through the worst of it.

Thanks everyone.
I am from Tampa. It is a big city so I am rather surprised by the lack of skill here. Granted I just saw a very small segment of the doctors down here so who knows. I am just glad I have PPO insurance so I could easily fire bad doctors and go where I need to go without any 2nd guessing.
I am still very much better than before. I am almost 100% besides some pain from the incision site. I did not have very much AF pain when I went in for my 2nd LIS but I just knew it would come back bad like it did a few weeks ago. I still have good control over gas, but it is kind of on a hair trigger. It is great not have to push very hard to go it just comes out with no pain like how it should. After the doctors ok in a few weeks I should be able to hit the gym again and get on with my life.

It has been 3 weeks and the doctor said the fissure is 100% gone. She said to stay on fiber for the rest of my life. Easy enough.

Kick ass Fissurerob !