by Lauren12 » 23 Sep 2012, 11:24
It took eight or more months for my anus to settle down after the LIS operation. My problem was slightly different to yours in that my chronic fissure had healed by itself, but I was still in lots of pain from muscle spasm, and the muscle tone in the anus had become very high from all the spasming, making it tight, and causing regular minor fissures every time I had a bowel movement. However it did all settle down post op.
My surgeon said that the anus is a delicate structure and can take some time to get back to normal following any disruption.
I'm sure your surgeon will be able to reassure you. I had been worried because I'd read accounts of people who'd been pain free in a matter of days or weeks after the operation whereas i was taking longer, but my surgeon was not at all worried, predicted it would settle down, and it has.
I do recall him saying early on (possibly pre-op) that I'd always have an anus that I was aware of, but wouldn't be in any pain. I forgot to ask him post op what he meant. Anyway, I'm not in any pain and lead a normal life so far as the anus is concerned.
I do recall that for a while after surgery, I was forming minor fissures sometimes with bowel movements. This was initially because the tissue was puffy and swollen from the op, making the anus narrower, but it did carry on for a while until it settled down. I can't remember now how long it takes for scar tissue to settle and become flat.
Anyway, I'm sure your surgeon will be reassuring.
If the irritation is caused by anything else - allergy for instance - then I'm sure the surgeon can offer advice on that. I became allergic to the Diltiazem cream which I used in the early days of the chronic fissure and as a result use nothing on my anus now when washing except water, and I wash after every bowel movement (just train the shower on it). I also only wear pure cotton underwear, and wash it in a non-biological washing powder, rinse it thoroughly and don't use fabric conditioner (all directions given by the surgeon I saw at the time!).
By the way, I've also had blood with bowel movements on four or five occasions post-op, very little, just really minor spotting. It was caused by over-large stools. Apparently the lining of the bowel is prone to minor injury because the tissue there is sensitive because it has to be permeable to water. But it's also quick to heal. Minor injuries from bowel movements are common to everyone, occasionally produce the odd spot of blood, but now I've had the op, they don't go into that cycle of producing pain and spasm. I just carry on as normal and don't worry about it.