Why can't they fix it? -- a simple, naive question

Discuss any questions, problems or share your solutions here...

Return to General Anal Fissure Discussion




Why can't they fix it? -- a simple, naive question

Postby HoserBum » 07 Feb 2013, 17:43

Hey all: One question I can't seem to find an answer for is simply WHY they cannot find a way to fix an AF?
I mean it's a tear, a rip, ,a cut, a wound. Are there reasons why stitches, sutures or even an adhesive-type healing tool cannot be used? I understand it's the rectum, high-traffic area, bacteria etc. Is the skin in the area just immune to any kind of closing-up style treatment other than natural healing? Is it about access?
Forgive my naive question, but in an age where they can perform surgery on a fetus in utero I find it amazing they don't have a simple procedure to actually CLOSE an AF.
HoserBum
Fibre Addict
 
Posts: 24
Topics: 10
Joined: 05 Feb 2013, 17:00
Location: Canada
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 0 time
Gender: None specified

Re: Why can't they fix it? -- a simple, naive question

Postby jr2 » 07 Feb 2013, 17:52

HoserBum,
As you already suggest, it is a high traffic area and never gets a chance to rest. If you get a cut on your arm, you keep it clean and you either get stitches or you use a Band Aid to cover it. At a minimum you favor the area. What you don't do is take a dirty knife and drive that knife into it every day (sometimes multiple times a day) and expect it to heal. Every time the sphincter has to stretch open for a BM, that is what is happening. To compound things more, the body is trying to protect the wound by making the muscle tighter in response to the wound. As the muscle (sohincter) involuntarily tightens to protect the wound it both pulls on the wound margins, opening the wound wider, and it also decreases blood flow to the area, making healing even more difficult.
This is why the aim is to get the muscle to relax and to make stools soft to minimize stretching so the body can go about its healing. Because the muscle spasm is involuntary, this relaxation can only be achieved chemically with medication, or if that fails, by cutting it or dilating it to force it to relax.
jr2
Moderator
 
Posts: 1038
Topics: 15
Joined: 13 Mar 2012, 17:00
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 39 times
Gender: None specified

I thought the same thing

Postby GGky1959 » 07 Feb 2013, 18:16

HoserBum wrote:Hey all: One question I can't seem to find an answer for is simply WHY they cannot find a way to fix an AF?
I mean it's a tear, a rip, ,a cut, a wound. Are there reasons why stitches, sutures or even an adhesive-type healing tool cannot be used? I understand it's the rectum, high-traffic area, bacteria etc. Is the skin in the area just immune to any kind of closing-up style treatment other than natural healing? Is it about access?
Forgive my naive question, but in an age where they can perform surgery on a fetus in utero I find it amazing they don't have a simple procedure to actually CLOSE an AF.

Oh, you and I are so on the right page......when I see all these px commercials for everything under the sun, I'm just blown away that no one has come up with a solution for AF. I understand why, but surely there's a suppository solution that heals a cut in a timely manner. I don't know how many sufferers there are out here, but man, that is a market that would make a nice little mint for some company. Great post!!
GGky1959
Proctosphincteranalogist
 
Posts: 284
Topics: 25
Joined: 21 Jan 2013, 17:00
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 0 time
Gender: None specified

Re: Why can't they fix it? -- a simple, naive question

Postby Chelle16 » 07 Feb 2013, 19:08

jr2 - you explain it so well....it took me a while to understand why my AF was not healing!!
It isn't simply a matter of closing a wound and then allowing time for it to heal. The more important aspect is the amount of muscle tone and spasm in the internal anal sphincter - and this sphincter is under involuntary control (much like your pupils dilate and constrict). SO, no matter how much you try and relax your bum (I'm sure we've all tried to do that at some stage) - you just can't!
I'm not sure about other sugrical methods, but I'm guessing with the LIS there is only so much they can "safely" cut to minimise the risk of incontinence....you need to maintain some anal tone otherwise your stools would just leak out all the time.
I'm 2 and 1/2 months post LIS (dealing with AF for 3 months prior to that) and it's only in the last 5 days that I have started to gain some moments of relief throughout the day - so I share your frustration hoserbum. Some days it's all just too much!!!!
Chelle16
Fibre Addict
 
Posts: 14
Topics: 4
Joined: 29 Dec 2012, 17:00
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 0 time
Gender: None specified

Re: Why can't they fix it? -- a simple, naive question

Postby HoserBum » 08 Feb 2013, 15:51

jr2 wrote:HoserBum,
As you already suggest, it is a high traffic area and never gets a chance to rest. If you get a cut on your arm, you keep it clean and you either get stitches or you use a Band Aid to cover it. At a minimum you favor the area. What you don't do is take a dirty knife and drive that knife into it every day (sometimes multiple times a day) and expect it to heal. Every time the sphincter has to stretch open for a BM, that is what is happening. To compound things more, the body is trying to protect the wound by making the muscle tighter in response to the wound. As the muscle (sohincter) involuntarily tightens to protect the wound it both pulls on the wound margins, opening the wound wider, and it also decreases blood flow to the area, making healing even more difficult.
This is why the aim is to get the muscle to relax and to make stools soft to minimize stretching so the body can go about its healing. Because the muscle spasm is involuntary, this relaxation can only be achieved chemically with medication, or if that fails, by cutting it or dilating it to force it to relax.

Thanks for this. More than any doctor has told me so far.
HoserBum
Fibre Addict
 
Posts: 24
Topics: 10
Joined: 05 Feb 2013, 17:00
Location: Canada
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 0 time
Gender: None specified


  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to General Anal Fissure Discussion



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 24 guests