Anal fissure surgery: definition, procedure, risks • hello healthy

x

Definition

What is anal fissure surgery?

Anal fissure is a tear or splitting of the lining of the anus (anal mucosa). Symptoms and signs include painful bowel movements and bright red blood discharge from the anus. This problem is common in children starting from one year old, and affects about eight in 10 babies. A person's susceptibility to anal fissures tends to decrease with age. Common causes in adults include constipation and trauma to the anus (such as difficult childbirth).

When do I need anal fissure surgery?

About half of cases resolve on their own with proper care and avoidance of constipation. However, healing can be a problem if the pressure during bowel movements continues to reopen the wound. Treatment options include surgery.

Precautions & warnings

What should I know before having anal fissure surgery?

Surgery usually involves cutting a small portion of the anal sphincter muscle to reduce spasm and pain and promote healing. Surgery has a low risk of causing incontinence.

Are there alternatives to surgery?

There are simple remedies that can help such as laxatives, ointments, injections of bontulinum toxin, increasing the amount of fiber in your diet, and drinking lots of fluids.

Process

What should I do before anal fissure surgery?

This operation, also called a lateral sphincterotomy, can be performed under local anesthesia. Your anesthetist or doctor will explain how to prepare for your procedure. It is very important to inform your doctor if you are taking any medications, especially types of medicines called blood thinning agents. You are also asked not to eat or drink, usually for about six hours beforehand. It is very important to follow the advice of your anesthetist, surgeon and doctor. You should not drink alcohol 24 hours before you are given a local anesthetic or sedative.

What is the process of anal fissure surgery?

There are several surgical techniques for treating anal fissures.

Lateral internal sphincterotomy
This procedure has the best cure rate and is the most widely used procedure for anal fissures. In this operation, your surgeon will make a small cut in the internal anal sphincter muscle with a long incision.

Fissurectomy
In this procedure your anal fissure is completely removed, leaving the wound open to heal naturally. This operation can be applied alone, or with a lateral sphincterotomy, or with drugs such as glyceryl trinitrate or botulinum A toxin injections. You may need to have a fissurectomy if you have anal fistulas (the tunnel-like structure between the skin around the anus and rectum) and anal fissures.

Advancement flaps
This is a technique that involves replacing damaged tissue with healthy tissue. This type of surgery is more complex and is usually only recommended when other surgical options have failed.

What should I do after anal fissure surgery?

You will need to rest until the effects of the anesthesia are over and you may need some pain medication to help relieve the discomfort. You will usually be able to go home whenever you feel ready but sometimes you may need to stay in the hospital overnight. If you need pain relievers you should not take any medicines that contain codeine as they can cause constipation. If you have questions, ask your pharmacist for advice. You will need to remove the cover of the wound before having a bowel movement. Be careful when washing and drying the scar area afterward. It can take several months for full recovery from anal fissure surgery, but this varies between individuals, so it's important to follow your surgeon's advice.
If you have questions related to this test process, please consult your doctor for a better understanding.

Complications

What complications can occur?

Complications are when problems occur during or after surgery. Most people do not experience these complications, but complications of anal fissure surgery include: infection - this can usually be treated with antibiotics, but sometimes it can develop into an anal abscess and need further surgery for anal fistula - this can be treated surgically damage to the anal sphincter muscle - this can affect bowel control and can cause fissure incontinence to recur - the fissure may come back again after surgery

If you have any questions about possible complications, please consult your doctor for more information.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.