If you are considering having surgery to correct your anal fissure it is probably because you are at the end of your rope and cannot bear the pain you are experiencing every day any more. Believe me, I know what you are going through and how you feel. There were days when the pain was so intense after having a bowel movement that I had to take a break at work and go lay down to get through the awful pain I was experiencing. I knew this was no way to live, but nothing my doctor was prescribing for me was helping, nor working to heal my anal fissure. I was at a point where I had to do something and I had to do it quick. I decided to see a specialist and see what my options were to get this resolved so I could get back to some sort of normalcy in my life. Well, I was given two options. One: continue trying the nitroglycerin ointment, sitz baths, high fiber diet, etc… that was having little to no success on healing my fissure. Two: have Lateral Sphincterotomy surgery to hopefully correct the anal fissure. My options were limited so I knew I had to make a decision. Was I going to continue to be in severe pain every day with the hopes of getting better or go in for the surgical procedure with no guarentee that it would be 100% successful either. Needless to say, I was not happy with the options I had to choose from. After a night of thinking about the pros and cons of the surgery I decided that I had no other choice than to have the surgery if I wanted to put an end to this pain. So, the next day I called the doctor and scheduled the surgery. To make matters worse, the soonest they could perform the surgery was well over a week away! I knew that I could not last another week. The next morning is a day I will never forget. My mom called me to see how I was feeling as she had most days since this whole ordeal started. I told her that I had decided to go ahead with the surgery, but was not happy about that being my only option. She proceeded to tell me about an all natural product she found on the Internet last night and asked me if I wanted to give it a try. My answer to her was, “Mom, I am willing to try anything at this point to make the pain go away!”. More about this product my mom found online in just a bit. Now, before I go any further I need you know some things about this Lateral Sphincterotomy surgical procedure I was going to have to supposedly heal my anal fissure. There is no guarantee this surgical procedure will heal your anal fissure! The doctor will basically cut a small nick into the internal anal sphincter of your anal canal in order to help reduce spasming and increase the blood supply to the area. This is usually done as an outpatient surgery under a general anesthesia. The hope is that your body will have more blood circulation to the area so that the fissure can heal on it’s own. So, you are basically getting cut to heal your fissure? What?!?!? Sounds like a strange way to fix a cut to me. But remember, this is my only choice if I want any hope of getting rid of this anal fissure. Let me point out the advantages and dis-advantages of the surgery so we can make a better, educated decision about this surgical procedure.
Advantages to having the surgery:
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The surgery has a better success rate than any medicine that is used to treat a long term anal fissure.
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The healed fissure lasts longer and has a less likely chance of returning when compared to using medicines.
Disadvantages to having the surgery:
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Watch this video to see what you are in for…ouch!!! …… http://www.surgeryvideo.net/lateral-internal-sphincterotomy-video
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The surgery does not actually close the anal fissure, it relieves the sphincter muscle.
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Even after having the surgery, the anal fissure still has to heal on its own.
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You will probably have difficulty controlling flatulence (fancy word for gas) and may also have minor fecal incontinence (fancy words for pooh leaking out of your rear end).
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Your fissure may get infected while in the healing process, requiring antibiotics and further treatment. See my post on The Top 10 Things You Can Do To Heal Your Anal Fissure As Fast As Possible and read point # 2.
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The fissure may actually return if it does not heal properly.
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Bleeding from the area may occur until the fissure is fully healed and could result in a return to the operating room.
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Surgery will cost a lot more money than H-Fissures.
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Must take time off of work to let your body heal. Lost wages.

