I am a 35-year-old female and have suffered from a posterior anal fissure for the past five years. I've come to this website many times over the years but have never posted. I'm glad that my first post is in the 'success stories' forum.

When I was first diagnosed with the fissure five years ago, I had been suffering for many months. I avoided the doctor because I have extreme health anxiety and the thought of having someone examining me in that area was absolutely terrifying. However, the pain became so intense that I could no longer ignore it. Luckily, my CRS is awesome and she made me as comfortable as could be. She diagnosed the fissure and gave me a prescription for diltiazem. I used the diltiazem, took several sitz baths a day, and monitored my diet, etc. It took several weeks but eventually I started to feel better.

Over the past five years I've suffered a few setbacks, but each time I was able to "heal" it with the creams, baths, diet, stool softeners, blahblahblah. Despite the fact that I continued all of these fissure-fighting routines, the fissure returned in December and that dreaded burning sensation was back. By January I was in absolute agony. I called my CRS but had to wait more than a month to see her. When I finally saw her at the end of February, she took one look at my behind and immediately suggested surgery. Just hearing the word 'surgery' made me cry. I've never so much as had a tooth pulled, so surgery on my anus sounded like my own personal hell. My doctor told me to think about surgery and gave me a prescription for Canasa suppositories, analpram, and more diltiazem and said that if there was no improvement in a month that she would, again, suggest surgery. (Side note: my sister who developed a fissure after childbirth had success with the Canasa suppositories.)

Due to health insurance complications, I didn't actually see my doctor again until the middle of April. So after four months of fissure torture and a 15lb weight loss, I finally started wrapping my neurotic head around the idea of surgery. I knew this time was different. The fissure was not healing and I developed symptoms I'd never had before (daily oozing from the fissure, bleeding sporadically during the day, and intense spasms that would wake me up at night). The skin tag had also become bigger and more inflamed.

When I finally saw my doctor again her first words upon examination were, 'Ok, when do you want to do this?" I asked her to get me to surgery as soon as she could schedule me. She was surprised by my answer because she is familiar with my anxieties/phobias but I'd had a couple of months to prepare myself for the inevitable. I could no longer tolerate living with chronic, debilitating pain that was ruining my quality of life. Even the times when the fissure was in "remission", the daily anxiety of wondering when it would return (and if it's chronic, you can be sure it will) and constantly monitoring every thing I put in my mouth had worn me down. I was underweight, weak, depressed, and ravenously HUNGRY!!!!!!!

Three days later on April 16, 2015, my CRS performed a fissurectomy, dilation, botox and skin tag removal. Prior to going into surgery I was extremely scared of the type of surgeries she was going to perform because I had read a lot of people's testimony about how a fissurectomy is outdated and how much more painful the recovery is than LIS surgery. I also read over and over again that skin tag removal should be avoided at all costs because that's even more painful than removing the fissure! Thankfully, none of my fears were realized. The surgery was a success and the recovery pain PALED in comparison to the fissure. All fissure pain was gone after surgery. There was no more burning or spasms. The pain was replaced by a dull ache that felt like someone had kicked me. This ache was by far preferential to the pain caused by the fissure. I was prescribed Toradol (prescription strength anti-inflammatory) and Norco. I never took the Norco and only used the Toradol to relieve the pain for about three days. After that I just took an aleve everyday for about a week. I can honestly say the worst part of the entire surgical experience was the nausea that persisted for almost two days after the surgery.

It's been almost two and half months since my surgery and I feel 100%. I still eat healthfully, drink tons of water, take Konsyl and docusate with every meal and take a magnesium supplement every evening to keep things soft but now I can eat pizza! and crunchy peanut butter! and anything I else I want!!! I am an avid cook and baker so living on oatmeal and sweet potatoes for months on end was complete torture for me.

I hope my story is able to help anyone who might be considering surgery and is terrified because of horror stories they've read. I know there's always a chance of complications and unsatisfactory results but by and large, the surgical solutions (both fissurectomy and LIS) are extremely successful. You should keep in mind that more people will seek help from the internet in the event of a terrible experience than they will with a satisfactory one. So all of the horror stories are probably disproportionately represented because most people who've had uncomplicated surgeries and unremarkable recoveries aren't going to take the time to post about it.

I don't want it to sound like I'm pushing surgery as the best or only solution. I know everyone is different and plenty of people have had success using conservative methods in the long term...but if you're like me and have struggled for years and have tried every remedy under the sun, I hope my story will provide some positive reassurance if you decide to go ahead with surgery. If you have a good doctor that you trust, the chances are more than good that you'll do just fine and you'll be fissure-free when all is said and done.

Best of luck to everyone on this board who is currently struggling and thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences. This website has provided me with so much information and comfort over the years.

A big congrats for being able to post in the "Success Stories" thread. I was very happy to do so earlier this year too.

And thanks for sharing your story, as I'm sure it will help so many who come after you.

Thanks chachacha! I've read many of your posts/responses over the last couple of years so Thank YOU for all the time/energy spent trying to help people with this miserable condition. I just read your success story...wow...much continued health to you!!

So sweet of you to say that. I try to help, because so many helped me when I was suffering and in need of information and support.

Much continued health to you too!

Hi I'm having this done is 2 weeks I keep getting an healing the same fissure for 4 years now I understand the worry about when is it coming back please tell me how you have been since your surgery thank kindly

Thanks for this post! I am considering fissurectomy with botox! I have had my fissure for 4 months and the pain is not as bad as others have described: I can walk around and do everything I need to do, but I am so tired of the dreaded morning BM and not being able to be flexible with food and enjoy life. I also have a skin tag which I'd love to be rid of... surgery might be best for me to give my butt a fresh start! Have you had any complications or relapses? Any issues with incontinence? Thanks :)

Ik heb 20 sept een fissurectomie en botox gehad bij mij niet geholpen helaas pijn werd alleen maar erger nu wors ik vrijdag geopereerd krijg een LIS ik hoop dat het wel wat gaat doen inmiddels al 21 kg afgevallen