My understanding this seems to work for many rather than an LIS. I saw a reply from someone on another site and saidit was oustanding. Dr Sohn is now retired. However there are now CRS that do this and for some it is a very good alternative to an LIS with less complications……
Anal dilatation (sphincter stretch) is another way to treat anal fissure. An older method of anal dilatation was commonly used until LIS was introduced in 1969. In this older method the surgeon inserted his fingers into the anus and spread the anal opening "manually." This was relatively uncontrolled, and often resulted in some degree of incontinence. In the 1970's LIS became the standard operation for anal fissure because it produced lower rates of incontinence than uncontrolled manual dilatation. In the 1990's Dr. Norman Sohn developed “Standardized Anal Dilatation.” This procedure stretches the sphincter muscle in a measured and controlled way that is significantly less likely to produce incontinence. This method also reduces the chances of other complications, such as bleeding and infection. Dr. Sohn treated more than 2000 fissures this way and claimed to have an 87% fissure healing rate (95% pain relief with or without full healing) and an incontinence rate of 0.3%.