It's been 10 months since I had LIS and fissurectomy and can honestly say out of that time I've only had the odd few weeks here and there where I'd thought "YES" I'm healed, sadly I hate to admit it but I feel that I'm in the minority of patients where the procedure either hasn't worked or that I require a second procedure, I was even told by a doc that I could have nerve damage, how distressing!!!! I consider that to be a major concern and sometimes think that's why I'm still suffering..
Just lately I've been having quite bad burning sensations after BM, very similar to what it was like pre-LIS, God knows I've tried everything, it's been such a hard hill to climb but these ass issues sure know how to kick you in the nuts, more so when you think everything is getting better, then out of the blue... Pain!!! You'd think we'd become accustomed to it over such a prolonged period but I never will no matter how hard I stay positive this damn thing won't heal completely, I'm preparing myself (mentally) for more surgery, after all it can't be as bad as the past 10 months can it? I don't care even if it is b/c I've reached that point where I'll do whatever it takes to get things right..
During my good days I had a rare glimpse of what life is like without pain, I wanted it to last forever, saying that though, my ass still didn't feel like it used to many years ago and I doubt it ever will, it seems that surgery has altered the very shape of my outlet pipe as well as the way it functions or is it that b/c of the years of suffering my brain has forgotten how to make my ass work properly? I doubt that even a consultant could answer that!! haha ..
My LIS experience has not been a good one, it's pretty shitty being a minority, I can only hope for a miracle in the near future (providing there's no nerve damage)
I'm seeing my GP tomorrow and will be pushing him for a referral, I remember typing something similar to that over a year ago!!! I'm going backwards LOL.

Steve,
Wishing you the best. These butt issues can truly suck!!

Wish you well with the doc tomorrow. It is bloody awful being in pain day after day. I am in that situation too. I am looking into motility issues, as with all the medication that I've tried and the lack of any real sense of healing, have to think that it goes beyond a fissure, especially as the CRS didn't see one...To live a life where every visit to the loo is a hellish ordeal, is just getting to be totally beyond the pale I have had it with this!!!
Just a weeny rant. :D Really hope you can get some answers!
Em

Steve,
I remember not too long after I joined this forum you were fixing to have your surgery. You have been through so much and I know you have tried to stay positive. I can't imagine having the surgery and still dealing with the fissure as if it never happened. It takes all we have in us to brave up and get this over with, then to not get well
Good luck tomorrow! Please keep us updated.

psss. I think you never get accustomed to the pain a fissure brings and I believe you could definitely handle another surgery if you could deal with this for the past 10 months, not to mention the time you spent suffering before LIS/ Fissurectomy!

this sucks Steve!!!!!!!!!
i think as well every set back its harder for me to cope i get more and more depressed. Before LIS i always thought surgery will fix this. But now what te f**K are we meant to say rrrrrr number 2 surgery may fix me but could make things worse as well.
I have my pressure test done in 2 days i will let you know how it goes and maybe you could ask for that to see if a 2nd Lis is the way to go.
Good luck with you GP appointment and let us know how you go!

Good luck at your appointment Steve.
I had LIS/fistula surgery/ tag removal 3 years ago, and throughout that time retore every couple of months, take a month to heal....start all over again, and now had to have another fistula surgery - with no real reason, just Very Bad Luck!!
It seems to go on forever and is debilitating and depressing... and traumatic - I seem to have a phobia of bathrooms along with all my other phobias! LOL!
I feel so sorry for the situation you're in and hope that something can be done to help. In our modern day society it is amazing we have to suffer like this.

Hey Steve - I hope your appointment went well today. I really hope that the doc gave you some good suggestions for what to do from here. There have been a few boardies here who had to have a second surgery before they were able to heal, so maybe a second one can be the answer for you too.
I hope you're doing better today!

Awwww Steve, I'm so sorry to hear this :( I thought maybe you were off gloriously pigging out on fast food, but am disappointed to hear that I was dead wrong...
Personally I don't think my ass will ever be back to 100% again either. I'm kind of at peace with it, because things are tolerable and manageable. It sounds like you're having a much rougher go. BTW I saw a doctor (GI guy) a while ago who could visually tell that I'd had LIS, just by looking at my ass. He noted something along the lines of "deformity of anus consistent with prior anal surgery" in my medical records. So I do think LIS changes the shape of the anus (hence the small anal stenosis risk it carries probably).
Regarding the possible nerve damage: did the doc give you anything to try for it? I have some chronic nerve issues and occasionally take Neurontin (gabapentin) for it. It has a sedative effect that can make you feel a bit woozy (hence its sometimes-used nickname of "Morontin"), and has some habit forming potential (but not nearly as much as the benzodiazepines). But it does WONDERS for nerve pain. I have opiates that work great for muscular pain but that don't touch nerve pain, whereas Neurontin stops the nerve pain (neuralgia in my pain) dead in its tracks. I don't know if it's ever used for ass issues, but it may be worth asking about if you're desperate for something to try. Doesn't really cause constipation or diarrhea either, at least not for me.
BTW is the burning inside the anus or outside, and do you still have palpable spasms? I know you recall having piles before and wonder if it's piles acting up as opposed to the fissure?

So sorry Steve. You're not alone. I know it's only been three months for me since surgery and it may be too soon to tell the outcome, but I've retorn twice in that time. I've also had some burning days and one day last week where I had terrible spasms.
At this point I don't like the thought of more surgery either, but I guess I'd have to suck it up and deal with it if it comes to that. Can you tell if the first surgery did you any good at all? The good news for me is that my surgery DEFINITELY helped....I was ALWAYS in pain, ALWAYS tearing every day, and now, I'm not.
You wouldn't be the first to need more muscle cut, even if you are considered a 'minority', statistically. Can you tell if there's an actual tear, or is it just pain? For me I can see the tear plain as day with a mirror when it's acting up.
At least I can take a little bit of Miralax (1/4 tsp) and some Citrucel every day and kind of keep things under control. I really, really want to believe that it just needs time and TLC to heal.
I wish you the best if you do have to go through another surgery! It CANNOT be as bad as living with butt issues forever...that sucks all the joy out of your life...what a waste of time, so not worth it if you can fix it!