Lilysmom,
I feel horrible for you. You have a brand new wound to heal and fissurectomies can be painful as hell from what I've read. I think much of your pain is because your muscle is still too tight without the LIS or Botox. You are basically feeling the full effects of a whole new cleaned up fissure and still have the tightness that you had before surgery that wouldn't allow the fissure to heal in the first place.
I'm not sure where you are from but I would love for you to go to my CRS and get a second opinion. I think you really don't need to suffer like this for much longer and need another CRS who is well experienced in LIS to have a look.
I am not sure how a CRS who came highly recommended doesn't know a tight ass-h*** isn't going to heal a fissurectomy or a freaken fissure. The whole reason you had the damn fissure for so long is because your sphincter was obviously too tight and you needed LIS, or it would have healed?!!
Is someone able to make you an appointment with another CRS? I really think you need one ASAP.
Hang in there and please don't settle for the care you have received. I you could handle this, LIS is nothing and you will be thanking God you got it. What you are going through is just wrong in my opinion

Lily
That is horrible! I can't believe you had to go through so much pain. I have not had surgery. I might have to and from what I read there is a long recovery period, but after a few weeks it is worth the wait.
Hang in there. I know it is very hard, but relief is on its way.

Lily - I completely agree with Dawn. Please make arrangements to see another CRS. I don't have faith in your surgeon at all, I'm sorry to say. First, he said that women shouldn't have an LIS, which we all know is false, as the many women and moms here indicate. Second, he claimed that a tight sphincter isn't a problem, which the collective wisdom here -- based on a lot of careful research and personal experiences of many, many people -- clearly indicate is also false. You really shouldn't have to live with this much pain. Things should be getting better after the surgery and they are clearly not getting any better at all. Hun, I know you're exhausted from all that you've been through, and I know how hard it is to fight to get proper treatment when you are in agony and living on painkillers - trust me, I know! I had to fight like hell to get proper treatment too. But, seriously, it is worth it.
Gather your people around you, recruit your hubby to help you, and get to another doctor. My hubby now comes with me to every doc's appointment, and is even in the room while I'm being examined, in case he has to punch a stupid doctor in the head (well, he might not actually punch the doctor, but he is there to make sure there's no bullsh!t). I was too exhausted and needed somebody to fight with me. Muster up the last bit of strength you have and get on the phone. You don't have to live with this. The LIS is a breeze, and the recovery is much better than what you are going through now. And the biggest difference will be that you will be actually healing instead of suffering indefinitely in pain.
I'm so sorry you are going through this. It really sucks that there are so many doctors out there who don't have a clue - don't be a victim of one of them! Lots of dunder-headed doctors are highly recommended because they might be good as a few things, but that doesn't mean they are good at everything. Many of us have had similar experiences with docs and we are here to help as much as we can. You deserve to get your life back.

You all are so sweet, and I wish I had found this site much sooner, but glad I finally did.
This mornings progress report: Got up about 6:00 AM, and took my valium, and pain pill. Had my BM about an hour later. It was not so bad, and then I got in the tub of course. All I felt after getting out of the tub was pressure, not the intense pain I have been having. It is now almost 4 hours later, and I am just feeling a little discomfort, but nothing too bad. Could it be it is getting better ? With everything that is holy, I am hoping so. My entire family has me on their prayer list, and it's a good thing, because I am too exhausted to even pray for myself, sad to say :oops: .
Just to clarify what my CRS said, he said HE doesn't like to do the LIS on woman, because of the incontinence issue. Maybe he has had a bad experiences with it, who knows. He said my anus was fairly tight, which was not necessarily a bad thing....again, not sure why he said that, or what that means, but you can bet your you know what, I will ask at my next appointment. I do feel a huge difference in how I pass gas now, and the size of my poop. It is much easier to pass gas, and poop now, because I can actually feel the opening is bigger. I would assume that is because the tags are gone, along with all the scar tissue, so in that regard, the surgery certainly helped with that.
I live in Birmingham, AL, so if anyone who lives here, would like to share the name of their CRS, who performed successful LIS on them, I would be very grateful.

lily, let us know how you are doing ok. i really feel bad for you. i think that if i was in this situation that i would be going to the er room and getting help. i wouldnt be able to put up with the intense pain. you deserve to feel better soon..

Hey Lily'smom, I'm from Florida. My grandparents from both sides were originally from Alabama. I know my Dads parents were from Winston County Alabama....
I'm glad you feel a little better today. I'm a firm believer in prayer and was on a prayer list at our church too.I think I talked to God when I had my fissure more than I have in my life.
I have no doubt getting rid of the tags and scar tissue is a good thing beings that you had a fissure for so long prior to getting surgery.
Here's the thing that really sends up red flags for me. You definitely don't want a CRS who has fears of you becoming incontinent doing a LIS on you. This makes me think he's is not qualified and probably has very little if any experience with the procedure. You want someone who has done more LIS's than they can count and who has never had any cases of incontinence and is confident it's not going to happen with you! Your CRS's reluctance to do the surgery and saying you could become incontinent tells me two things. He either hasn't got a lot of experience with the procedure and /or he's made someone incontinent.
Please don't even take my word for this but take a look on the internet and research the reasons for LIS. You will see the reason fissures don't heal is because the anus is too tight. Having a fissurectomy does not change that, nor does having a tag/tags removed. All the fissurectomy did was cut out or shave down the edges of your fissure. This wound may heal as good as your fissure did before surgery. I'm sure as most of us have, you probably had periods of it being in less pain and things being more manageable through out the years you had your fissure? I'm worried that that could be the case without you having LIS.
What I fear could happen is without a looser muscle which LIS gives, you will be at higher risk for it returning or not healing completely since this surgery.
This is why we are all screaming get a second opinion!
I am very curious to hear your CRS's answer to why a tighter anus is a good thing while healing a fissure.
I'm not sure if anyone in here is from Alabama and can recommend a CRS. I believe one of our boardies lives in Georgia and I'm from Florida, so that would be quite a drive.

Dawn wrote:Hey Lily'smom, I'm from Florida. My grandparents from both sides were originally from Alabama. I know my Dads parents were from Winston County Alabama....
I'm glad you feel a little better today. I'm a firm believer in prayer and was on a prayer list at our church too.I think I talked to God when I had my fissure more than I have in my life.
I have no doubt getting rid of the tags and scar tissue is a good thing beings that you had a fissure for so long prior to getting surgery.
Here's the thing that really sends up red flags for me. You definitely don't want a CRS who has fears of you becoming incontinent doing a LIS on you. This makes me think he's is not qualified and probably has very little if any experience with the procedure. You want someone who has done more LIS's than they can count and who has never had any cases of incontinence and is confident it's not going to happen with you! Your CRS's reluctance to do the surgery and saying you could become incontinent tells me two things. He either hasn't got a lot of experience with the procedure and /or he's made someone incontinent.
Please don't even take my word for this but take a look on the internet and research the reasons for LIS. You will see the reason fissures don't heal is because the anus is too tight. Having a fissurectomy does not change that, nor does having a tag/tags removed. All the fissurectomy did was cut out or shave down the edges of your fissure. This wound may heal as good as your fissure did before surgery. I'm sure as most of us have, you probably had periods of it being in less pain and things being more manageable through out the years you had your fissure? I'm worried that that could be the case without you having LIS.
What I fear could happen is without a looser muscle which LIS gives, you will be at higher risk for it returning or not healing completely since this surgery.
This is why we are all screaming get a second opinion!
I am very curious to hear your CRS's answer to why a tighter anus is a good thing while healing a fissure.
I'm not sure if anyone in here is from Alabama and can recommend a CRS. I believe one of our boardies lives in Georgia and I'm from Florida, so that would be quite a drive.

Yeah Dawn.....I have the exact same concerns about this surgery as you guys do, which is why I asked him why he wouldn't do the LIS. Upon his reply, I sure didn't want to become incontinent. I had done extensive research on fissures, and knew that the LIS surgery was the gold standard. I can't imagine that my doctor has not performed LIS before many times, and I feel he possibly had a problem with incontinence issues in the past with a woman. I just don't know how to go about finding a CRS now who has extensive experience, without going from doc to doc. I will get some questions answered from my current CRS in my follow up visit, and take it from there. My doctor is a board certified CRS and FACS. He has been practicing for 14 years, and as I said, has excellent credentials and reviews. But that means nothing to me if this surgery is not a success.

Right. I've been researching all morning on fissurectomies, but every time I find something, it has LIS/fissurectomy.
Have you found any information about fissurectomies being performed alone?
I totally understand it being hard to find another CRS. I saw two different CRS's and had to research on my own and decide which one to go with. I think a few boardies have talked to several CRS's for second opinions.
Board Certified is definitely a good thing!! My CRS is Board Certified too. She has 14-15 years experience If I'm remembering correctly. I'll check again on that.
She doesn't do fissurectomies and laughed when I asked if she'd ever made anyone incontinent.She's done more LIS than she could count. What I'm trying to say is here we have two CRS's who are both experienced and board certified with two totally different views on healing a fissure.
I would hate to have to look for another CRS especially right after surgery, but if things don't improve and you have doubts that they are after an ample amount of time then that may be something you really want to consider...
I'm hoping and praying they're both right and your pain becomes less and less in the weeks to come.
Take care.

Just wanted to give an update. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since my surgery. I am feeling pretty good. Not any pain during BM, and just a sore feeling afterward, that subsides in an hour or so. The swelling has gone down considerably too, and I have no blood and very little discharge. The main aggravation yesterday was pressure, and feeling like I am not eliminating all the way, and I am now starting to have some itching too. Anyone else have this after surgery? This morning after my BM, I do not feel the pressure, or the feeling of not eliminating as bad as it has been. My BM's are now a normal size, and I am elated with that! As bad as I felt last week, that is how much better I am feeling now, and I can honestly say now, 2 weeks later, I am glad I had the surgery. I'm not gonna lie, it was agony that first week! But, I do feel like I am on the road to having my life back!

Just an update to say I am doing great!!!! As I previously posted, I had a fissurectomy, tags removed, a hemorrhoid removed, and scar tissue removed 4 weeks ago today. As painful as it was for the first two weeks post surgery, I would do it again tomorrow! I have my life back, and it is wonderful. There was some discussion here as to having a fissurectomy without the LIS, and no one had ever heard of it being done without the LIS including me. I was very fearful that my surgery was not going to work. I am happy to report that it did in fact work and I am just about the happiest person in the world. I have to give my CRS props also for not telling me how painful it was going to be for the first 1.5 to 2 weeks. Had he told me, I would have never had this surgery. It was painful, but I had a lot done, and I should have never waited 6 years to have the surgery. It would not have been nearly as bad had I had it when they knew my fissure would not heal. It is kinda like child birth, you do forget the pain, and in return, I am pain free for the first time in 6 years. I truly have a new life!!!