An anal fissure is an injury to the skin or mucous membrane of the anus. Various causes can lead to an anal fissure. Those affected usually suffer from pain. Conservative treatment is often sufficient, but in severe cases the patient may have to undergo anal fissure surgery.
The text below explains exactly what this is, how it develops and when anal fissure surgery needs to be performed.
Tears in the fine skin and mucous membrane at the mouth of the anal canal are called anal fissures. The affected person feels a burning sensation during or after a bowel movement. A bright red film of blood on the toilet paper often indicates an anal fissure.
Common causes of an anal fissure are
Those affected often shy away from going to the doctor out of false shame. They risk the symptoms becoming chronic.
Due to the pain, bowel movements are sometimes delayed. Constipation is therefore a possible secondary complaint of an anal fissure.
Anal fissures are small tears in the area of the anus that can lead to pain © bilderzwerg | AdobeStock
Before considering surgery, the doctor should first exhaust the possibilities of conservative treatment. This includes
If the injury does not heal or other disruptive factors occur, the acute anal fissure can quickly become chronic. An ulcer forms in conjunction with scarred wound edges. A so-called outpost fold can also develop.
The wound then also fails to heal properly due to poor circulation. In this case, only surgical treatment can help.
Anal fissure surgery is a minor procedure in the field of proctosurgery or surgical proctology. The surgeon removes the fissure together with the scarred tissue (fissurectomy).
The healing time after this method is between four and six weeks.
Alternatively, it is also possible to partially sever the sphincter muscle (sphincterotomy). This takes the pressure off the fissure, so that good healing results can be achieved. The problem with this method is the risk of fecal incontinence, which can even occur decades later.
As with almost every operation, bleeding can also occur after anal fissure surgery. Postoperative bleeding in particular is unpleasant for the patient. The same applies to wound healing disorders, which can also occur and lead to further pain. Severe scarring occurs rather rarely.
To ensure that the wound heals as smoothly as possible, particular attention should be paid to anal hygiene following the operation. Special baths have a disinfectant effect and can also have a pain-relieving effect.
The risk of sphincterotomy has already been mentioned. As the sphincter muscle loses tension with age, fecal incontinence can develop decades after the procedure.
For the diagnosis and treatment of anal fissures and other diseases of the rectum
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