by Lauren12 » 20 Feb 2013, 12:56
Furthermore, I'd add to what everyone else has said in that with LIS, if you do fissure again - perhaps by passing a large and hard bowel movement - the fissure will heal. My CRS told me that I shouldn't get any more major fissures now that I've had the LIS.
15 months after the LIS operation, having had no trouble since becoming fully healed, I was on holiday, which involved eating a different diet. I tried to eat high fibre foods but as there was no fibre content shown on many of these foods, I actually went overboard and started eating too much fibre and passing giant stools. By this time I was no longer using stool softeners. The holiday was also in July, in hot weather, and involved lots of walking, so probably I was more dehydrated than usual too. Anyway, my bottom started playing up and on the day I was due to drive home, it seemed like I had a fresh fissure and was back in fissure hell. I laid in bed and was in as much pain as before I'd had the LIS operation. However I did manage to drive home, dosed up with Lignocaine and painkillers! I also 'phoned and made a panic appointment with the CRS before leaving the holiday accommodation but couldn't get to see him for two weeks.
Anyway, the very next day I was OK again! I couldn't believe it but was so relieved as I'd expected months of hell - and of course, by the time I sheepishly went in to see the CRS two weeks later, I was absolutely normal! He examined me - no fissure - and just reiterated that now I'd had the LIS, if I did get a fissure, I'd heal again. In the seven months since then, I've been fine.
So my own experience is that LIS is a more permanent solution than Botox. However I was one of the minority for whom Botox didn't work - the CRS said it doesn't work for everyone. If it was not an effective treatment however, I don't think it would be offered so widely. If the majority of people having Botox only found relief for the 3 or 4 months before it wears off, I don't think it would be considered a viable treatment.
And when I say that for me Botox didn't work, I mean it didn't take away the pain. It reduced it somewhat, but didn't take it away and when the Botox wore off, it became more painful. If you've had a good response for Botox however, then you're probably one of the 70% for whom it's worked!