Hi - just had a fissurectomy and LIS today, 7 hours ago... and not sure what to expect. Do I take a sitzbath tonight? soon? I feel pretty good and there's no pain (yet). I'm drinking plenty of water. I started on Metamucil.... really I'm just wondering when I need to start cleaning this wound... and what to expect.

I took sitz baths 4-5 times a day for the first two weeks (post LIS with a hemorrhoidectomy and fistulotomy). Especially during the first week, it's really important to help keep the area as clean as possible and I found it helped to ease the pain too. Avoid hard-wiping the area -- I use Tucks / hemorrhoidal wipes to dab after lightly dabbing with TP. After wiping, I took a sitz bath.
Good luck with your recovery and congrats on getting the surgery over with and behind you!

I wasn't able to sit in the sitz bath so well, used the tub and one of those little squirt bottles they give u after delivering a baby I would just rinse thoroughly with it and dab dry. The bag of frozen peas helped with stinging and swelling. By day three the sitz was ok sometimes. Good luck and happy healing!

excellent. I know I'm suppose to do the baths 3-4 times a day - I'm just not sure when to start. I will start tonight though, it just seems like a good idea. :) the peas sound like a fabulous idea, I know I've used them for sprains before... hadn't thought about using them, well, there.

definitely start your hot bath soaks now! :-)
you may want to add Epsom salts into your tub while you are in there - add them as the water sets in. i was so happy i had an iPhone to play games while i soaked! you'll want to do this at least in the a.m. and p.m. once. if you are at home, try to have one in the midday! so that is at least 3.
about cleaning the wounds, no need to go inside the anus but just make sure that when you are in the tub, then to squat in there and whisk the water by hand to your butt! once you get a bit courageous, then you can softly use your hands to soothe over the anal area to make sure you can softly loosen anything - if it needs loosening. again, no need to insert anything - all of this is superficial over the anus.
remember to use your gauze or whatever you will put between your cheeks to aid in keeping moisture down in between baths/bathroom visits.
good luck choirgrrl!

thank you so much for all the input - it definitely makes this process easier asking how others handle things.

Congratulations on your surgery, Choirgrrl! I hope you are doing well today.
I find that keeping stools soft is very important. If you find the metamucil isn't quite doing the trick, you might consider trying Miralax (it's a favourite stool softener among the folks here).
Take it very easy and pamper yourself - you deserve it!

I will consider Miralax... have been considering it since reading the forums, I wish I had found y'all earlier :) Things are going great right now.... no pain meds yet, I did take an Advil this morning just in case... but so far so good. very little blood, the bathroom situation was not nearly as eventful as I thought it might be - very little pain.

choirgrrl, you still have no pain???? Even with fissurectomy???
Wow how lucky you are. I am due for fissurectomy and LIS next week. I am so scared. I hope I get no pain like you.

happyass wrote:definitely start your hot bath soaks now! :-)
remember to use your gauze or whatever you will put between your cheeks to aid in keeping moisture down in between baths/bathroom visits.

You mean this to keep wound moistured or keep any discharge from leaking over your pants???
If this is for the discharge how many days do you need to keep the gauze between "you know where"?