Following your sphincterotomy, you may experience some mild to moderate pain or discomfort in your rectal area. You may also experience constipation, difficulty urinating, and possibly some rectal bleeding. The following are some general guidelines for proper care after your procedure.
Continuous drainage and non-healing of the wound in some cases can lead to the formation of abscess and fistula. Although there are very fewer chances of developing such infections after surgery. Such wound complications might be some results of the infections that are not clinically evident.
Most people can go back to work and their normal routine 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. It will probably take about 6 weeks for your anus to completely heal.
Following anal fissure surgery, it's important to be patient, as pain may persist for a few weeks. Though it is normal for bowel movements to be painful during the recovery period, the pain can be mitigated through stool softeners, laxatives, and sitz bath therapy, or soaks in a warm tub.
Like other injuries, the signs that an anal fissure is healing are when it no longer bleeds or causes pain and when the wound starts to close. An anal fissure is a crack, tear, or sore in the lining of the anus.
Bowel Movements
Take a stool softener as long as you are taking the pain medicine. Colace (Docusate sodium) 100 mg twice a day is the recommended stool softener. Take a fiber supplement, such as Metamucil, Konsyl, Fibercon, Citrucel or any generic brand, as directed on the package.
Most people make a full recovery and can return to normal activities. The fissure can come back, so you may need further treatment.
You should expect some pain and discomfort in your bottom (anus) after anal fissure surgery. The pain is usually worst during the first seven days after the operation and should get much better after this first week. It's going to be more comfortable for you to poo if your poo is soft.
Correct sleeping position for fissure
HOD also advises you to sleep on your stomach to reduce anal fissure pain and place a pillow under your hips. Taking a fully body warm bath before bed is recommended for reducing the pain levels and helping you fall asleep better.
Many people experience constipation after surgery due to pain medications, anesthesia, or a lack of movement following the procedure. The outlook for people with constipation after surgery is generally good. Most people will feel better within a few days once they receive treatment.
This surgery relieves the pressure and allows the anal fissure to heal. This surgery may be done while you are completely asleep or while you are awake. If you are awake, you will be given medicine to help you relax.
The exposed internal sphincter muscle beneath the tear goes into spasm. This causes severe pain. The spasm also pulls the edges of the fissure apart, making it difficult for your wound to heal.
Avoid strenuous activity for 1 week after your procedure. Take sitz baths (sit for 15-20 minutes in warm water) three times a day and after each bowel movement for the first few days. Don't worry if you have some bleeding, discharge, or itching during your recovery. This is normal.
While no food directly causes fissures, some foods may irritate the tissues of the anal canal. “Hot, spicy foods, as well as caffeine, are irritating,” says Leff. “Excess caffeine is probably the major cause of anal itching.”
Is banana good for fissures? A. Yes. Bananas are a good source of fibre, which softens the stool and prevents the worsening of fissures.
In addition, stress and psychological disturbances may have a role in the development of chronic anal fissures through causing sympathetic dysfunction manifesting as a tonic pressure rise in the pressure of the anal canal [8]. Stress may be implicated in the formation and development of chronic anal fissures.
Piles are mainly the swollen blood vessels while fissures are kind of cracks and fistulas are an opening of a cavity. Piles are mostly painless and unnoticeable. Fissures cause a lot of pain. In the case of fistulas, pus is discharged out of the anal area.
Walking promotes overall good health. It lowers the chances of formation of hard stools and stimulates and promotes blood flow which is helpful if you have a fissure.
Postoperative ileus is a prolonged absence of bowel function after surgical procedures, usually abdominal surgery. It is a common postoperative complication with unclear etiology and pathophysiology. It is a benign condition that usually resolves with minimal intervention.
A sphincterotomy is a type of minor surgery, so the surgeon will give instructions as to what should be done to prepare. For general anesthetic, it may be necessary to stop eating or drinking at midnight the night before the procedure.
The incision is either stitched with dissolvable stitches or is left open to heal naturally. As with any procedure, lateral internal sphincterotomy may involve certain risks and complications such as incontinence of gas or stool, pain, bleeding, infection at the incision site, and difficulty passing urine.
The most common complication after surgery is anal incontinence. Around half of patients experience this after surgery, but for most, it resolves over time. This can show up as the loss of stool or the inability to control your gas.
Lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) is regarded as the gold standard and first-line surgical treatment for chronic anal fissures that do not respond to conservative treatment [4]. However, the risk of postoperative morbidity, including anal incontinence, is reported to be as high as 47.6% [5].
Unfortunately, constipation is a common side effect of surgery. It can happen for a few different reasons: the anesthesia used during the procedure, pain medications you're taking or how much and what you're eating and drinking.