Hi all.
I had the sphincteronomy six weeks ago and all things considered, it was a great decision. After a full year of bowel movements feeling like knives, there is no pain on a usual trip to the bathroom. Maybe 1 out of 20 times it hurts just slightly, but that's probably comparable to the general population.
For those who may worry about money, I received my bill last week. The surgery is about US$3800, of which I had to pay US$216 after my insurance adjustment. Not too shabby....maybe the smartest $216 ever spent.
The only real issue I have now is the incessant itching. It starts soon after the bowel movement and lasts around an hour. One issue may be the blazing hot summer we've had, so I won't sweat it (pun intended) until the weather cools in September and October. It's possible it's a separate issue from the fissure, we shall see.
Anyway, I won't dive into politics much, but it's absolutely crazy that this 10 minute procedure costs $3800 without health insurance. Something has to be done about this, whether Obama-care is the right way is highly debatable and I can't really answer it. However, if you are fortunate enough to have either private or public insurance pay for this operation, DO IT.