Hi there. I wanted to share my recent experience with spincterotomy. I had 2 very bad fissures and I've had them for about 8 months. I had the procedure last Monday, Feb 18th. I was off work then for just 2 days after surgery, going back to work Thursday. It was painful, so I did take vicodin which helped me. I took stool softeners and fiber which took away any constipation from the meds. My first bowel movements weren't really that painful per say, but stung afterwards which was cured with a sitz bath and tucks pads. I would say within 5 days I was having BM's with minimal pain. I do use tucks pads instead of toilet paper. I would consider my downtime a little less than a week. I had my follow up today and the doctor was surprised at my quick healing. I guess I am someone who faired easier, even with 2 fissures. I would have to say I would recommend this procedure to others because for me it worked. I'm feeling so much better and the fissures were definitely more painful, as a whole, than this surgery was (for me). If anyone has any questions I'll be happy to answer.
That's wonderful! It does sound like you've had a fairly quick recovery, so far.
My recovery has been longer, but I'm very glad I had the surgery. --- Like you said, a fissure is much harder to deal with, than recovering from the surgery - even if the recovery process takes longer.
ShoreBette - I'm Tweetums, just me, alone - I do not know the other posters here, personally, other than exchanging experiences here on this forum.
Thank you for your good wishes -- I still struggle with soreness in my bottom area - it's not fissure pain, but a dull-type of soreness. Two Crs's have said I'm healed and that they don't see anything awry.
Sometimes I feel like I'll never get over this. Yes - almost a year later, I'm still dealing with recovery. Maybe for me it will eventually toughen up in there and not be touchy, anymore.
All the best to you and Happy New Year.
Thanks Tweetums....i hope you and dailyhope have continued to stay in touch, as you both have such similar comunication styles..it is hard to find people to discuss such personal procedures.....thankfully they will at times...it helps us all
I am 3 wks post from lateral sphinct. and had six hemorroids banded....i am still very uncomfortable....but i suspect i have been dealing with these problems for about 10 yrs without realizing much of my pain involved the retum...my recovery is complicated with right buttock muscle pulling and tightness that goes to my ankle....
I am thinking right about now, that my situation is very unique....because of the entire hip to ankle muscle issues....when i went to the CR surgeon, i thought i was going to address hemorroids...he said fissure possibly...prescribed the compounding cream...and things worse..
I read about fissures and the spasms that accompany them, and thought if your rectum stays in spasms, it might involve the hip muscles, pelvic floor...not treated, or mis treated, i should say and it turns into a secondary problem....i started complaining about my tailbone area going into the anus 10 yrs ago, having one test after another...getting me nowhere...so i just went on tramadol and lived my life...
So for anyone who wonders what the timeline is for rectal problems to clear up without proper intervention, i am proof, that they can just get worse, and by the time you have it dealt with, other issues have entered the picture and you have no idea that you whether you are dealing with the correct ailment....
The side of the actual incision is not as sore as the right side of original pain...so it is just a guess as to whether it will truly help me at this point...as i read your posts, i had similars and differences....the bladder and pelvic floor seems to be really affected by all of this...sitting is absolutely not tolerated...neither is laying...i am of average weight, but feel as if there is not enough padding around my pelvic floorwhen it comes to sitting...
At post op appt yesterday the surgeon said it was too soon to digitally examine...for fear of soreness, but just the drive to office has created a lot of pain for me...i feel almost at week 1.....i was surprised at the level of pain this surgery has caused...was it the hemmy banding?? or thelateral sphinc. ?.. i have read some people go right back to work a week later...if i were working now and my dr only gave me a week, i would have been fired, because there is no way i could have gone back ...after one week...as it stands, i will likely miss a vaca next week...
I have generally a hard time being able to relate to other people dealing with this on the internet reading i have done, because of how it affected my buttock muscle and related problems to that.....for me, my discomfort area far exceeds the anal area ... it seemed like it got worse yearly, but options were so limited due to todays medical approaches...to treating more than one body part at a time....
I would like to comment on the pelvic pt or kegels.....it basically made my issue worse...it tightens the sphinctor for certain.....which in my case was a bad thing but may be helpful to correct incontinence...but anyone approaching this pt, be very careful the therapist has been teaching this for awhile..it is pretty complicated sometimes...if not donecorrectly...it will be hard to undo it....
Thanks Tweetums....i hope you and dailyhope have continued to stay in touch, as you both have such similar comunication styles..it is hard to find people to discuss such personal procedures.....thankfully they will at times...it helps us all
I am 3 wks post from lateral sphinct. and had six hemorroids banded....i am still very uncomfortable....but i suspect i have been dealing with these problems for about 10 yrs without realizing much of my pain involved the retum...my recovery is complicated with right buttock muscle pulling and tightness that goes to my ankle....
I am thinking right about now, that my situation is very unique....because of the entire hip to ankle muscle issues....when i went to the CR surgeon, i thought i was going to address hemorroids...he said fissure possibly...prescribed the compounding cream...and things worse..
I read about fissures and the spasms that accompany them, and thought if your rectum stays in spasms, it might involve the hip muscles, pelvic floor...not treated, or mis treated, i should say and it turns into a secondary problem....i started complaining about my tailbone area going into the anus 10 yrs ago, having one test after another...getting me nowhere...so i just went on tramadol and lived my life...
So for anyone who wonders what the timeline is for rectal problems to clear up without proper intervention, i am proof, that they can just get worse, and by the time you have it dealt with, other issues have entered the picture and you have no idea that you whether you are dealing with the correct ailment....
The side of the actual incision is not as sore as the right side of original pain...so it is just a guess as to whether it will truly help me at this point...as i read your posts, i had similars and differences....the bladder and pelvic floor seems to be really affected by all of this...sitting is absolutely not tolerated...neither is laying...i am of average weight, but feel as if there is not enough padding around my pelvic floorwhen it comes to sitting...
At post op appt yesterday the surgeon said it was too soon to digitally examine...for fear of soreness, but just the drive to office has created a lot of pain for me...i feel almost at week 1.....i was surprised at the level of pain this surgery has caused...was it the hemmy banding?? or thelateral sphinc. ?.. i have read some people go right back to work a week later...if i were working now and my dr only gave me a week, i would have been fired, because there is no way i could have gone back ...after one week...as it stands, i will likely miss a vaca next week...
I have generally a hard time being able to relate to other people dealing with this on the internet reading i have done, because of how it affected my buttock muscle and related problems to that.....for me, my discomfort area far exceeds the anal area ... it seemed like it got worse yearly, but options were so limited due to todays medical approaches...to treating more than one body part at a time....
I would like to comment on the pelvic pt or kegels.....it basically made my issue worse...it tightens the sphinctor for certain.....which in my case was a bad thing but may be helpful to correct incontinence...but anyone approaching this pt, be very careful the therapist has been teaching this for awhile..it is pretty complicated sometimes...if not donecorrectly...it will be hard to undo it....
Hello, ShoreBette -
I totally understand what you're going through - especially with regard to the anal pain's effect on the surrounding buttock muscles, etc. --- When my fissure was at its worst, I had pain in my bladder, female parts, surrounding buttock muscle, lower back, etc. It was awful - I was in absolute misery.
There must be alot of tiny nerves that connect in that general area -- so, if we're having acute pain in one, central area, it might spread to the surrounding areas. In your case, with the pain going down to your ankle, I'm thinking that your particular pain hit the nerves in your leg, going all the way down.
FTR, it took me a LONG time after surgery, for things to calm down, to the point where I wasn't in constant soreness. There were nights when I had such horrible post-op soreness - a raw pain down there - that I couldn't sleep. I remember lying down in the spare bedroom and being in absolute agony. That was within the first month (or two) after surgery. --- Since then, it's been a matter of thoroughly healing - and for me, that's taken a very long time, seems like.
I'm convinced that though I've looked healed (from the drs.' point of view), I've also needed more to heal within the deeper tissues. For the most part, I've felt much better, the past 6-7 months . . . but sometimes, I still have soreness down there - and I still have spasm episodes, too. So, for some of us, the healing takes a long while.
One thing I've tried to do (especially at night when I'm lying down and feeling the spasms) is to relax myself, as much as possible - relax down below, as much as possible.
I'm sure that, because you had the hemorrhoids banded, along with the surgery, that's going to make things more painful for you - and perhaps, you might need more recovery time. I had a fissurectomy along with the LIS, and I'm convinced that it made my healing time take alot longer.
I think that the people who only have the LIS seem to recover a bit quicker - not always, but alot of them do. --- So, give yourself ALOT more time, before you try to figure out whether or not the surgery has helped.
Think of it this way . . . you couldn't go on the way you were going - and the surgery will surely improve your situation, once you've given yourself more healing time.
I'm much better now, than I was before I had the surgery. Really, I was so, sooo miserable with the fissure, that all I could do was lie down and cry -- I spent 3-4 months like that, just lying down all day and crying, barely able to function.
Let us know how you progress -- and remember, you need time, time, time. The healing process can be lengthier for some of us.
I had LIS and a skin tag removed 6 days ago. This has been rough for me. I am still having pain with bm and throbbing on the right side only. I examined myself last night and noticed a small bump that is a little tender in the area that I'm having pain. It looks like a red pimple. This of course freaked me out so I called the on call dr. He said To keep taking baths and that it's probably just inflammation. Anyone experience this at all?? My CRS said that I'd only have discomfort for a few days and today is day 6. Feeling very discouraged about this..
First of all, you're very early in your recovery. It's possible that you'll need quite a bit more time, before everything will feel somewhat normal, again. Everyone's recovery time is different -- so, please give yourself more time. The area will be very tender for awhile - there's no getting around that part - so, just make sure to keep the area clean, and watch for any disturbances.
As to the red pimple, just keep an eye on it. If it gets bigger, you'll want the doctor to look at it, asap, just in case. Otherwise, maybe it's just an inflamed or irritated area from the surgery and will ease up on its own.
I had an LIS and a fissurectomy, and I had a huge swollen area, that took weeks to subside. Like I said, complete healing can take awhile. I'm over a year past my surgery, and I've only felt fairly well for the past couple of months, with regard to pain and irritation down there. I do believe that my having the fissurectomy, in addition to the LIS, is what made my recovery time take so long - plus, I'm a slow healer, anyhow.
Please hang in there. Once you get past your recovery, I'm sure you'll be so glad you had the surgery done. I know I am.
First of all, you're very early in your recovery. It's possible that you'll need quite a bit more time, before everything will feel somewhat normal, again. Everyone's recovery time is different -- so, please give yourself more time. The area will be very tender for awhile - there's no getting around that part - so, just make sure to keep the area clean, and watch for any disturbances.
As to the red pimple, just keep an eye on it. If it gets bigger, you'll want the doctor to look at it, asap, just in case. Otherwise, maybe it's just an inflamed or irritated area from the surgery and will ease up on its own.
I had an LIS and a fissurectomy, and I had a huge swollen area, that took weeks to subside. Like I said, complete healing can take awhile. I'm over a year past my surgery, and I've only felt fairly well for the past couple of months, with regard to pain and irritation down there. I do believe that my having the fissurectomy, in addition to the LIS, is what made my recovery time take so long - plus, I'm a slow healer, anyhow.
Please hang in there. Once you get past your recovery, I'm sure you'll be so glad you had the surgery done. I know I am.
The Following User Says Thank You to Tweetums For This Useful Post: Depressedmama (04-16-2013)
Tweetums-
Thank you so much for your support. This has been a very long 19 months dealing with on and off butt pain... When my CRS suggested surgery I didn't hesitate. I guess I'm disappointed because she told me this was such a minor surgery with minimal pain, and it really wasn't for me. I did a little google research and seems that it might be a hematoma from local... But I will be keeping a close watch on it. So nice to be able to talk with another person who has gone through it. My husband doesn't really know what to say to me to help me feel better so it has been rough this past week. Glad to know that you are feeling better, too bad it's taken a year! I think Drs need to be more realistic with their patients when it comes to this surgery. I was suppose to be back to work this week, but because my schedule is slow I get to stay home. Thank goodness because I didn't want to have to explain why I was in pain. Thanks again for the support.
Tweetums-
Thank you so much for your support. This has been a very long 19 months dealing with on and off butt pain... When my CRS suggested surgery I didn't hesitate. I guess I'm disappointed because she told me this was such a minor surgery with minimal pain, and it really wasn't for me. I did a little google research and seems that it might be a hematoma from local... But I will be keeping a close watch on it. So nice to be able to talk with another person who has gone through it. My husband doesn't really know what to say to me to help me feel better so it has been rough this past week. Glad to know that you are feeling better, too bad it's taken a year! I think Drs need to be more realistic with their patients when it comes to this surgery. I was suppose to be back to work this week, but because my schedule is slow I get to stay home. Thank goodness because I didn't want to have to explain why I was in pain. Thanks again for the support.
Tweetums-
I replied back but not sure where it went... Anyways, thank you for your support. I just am disappointed because I thought it would be a easy recovery with minimal pain like my dr had told me... And it's been the opposite. I have my 2 week post op with her next week. Sure hoping I start feeling better sooner than later. I can't imagine how you have felt dealing with recovery for a year! I hope that's not my case... I wanna have another baby within the next year. This thing just leaves a person feeing very emotionally drained. Blah.
Tweetums-
I replied back but not sure where it went... Anyways, thank you for your support. I just am disappointed because I thought it would be a easy recovery with minimal pain like my dr had told me... And it's been the opposite. I have my 2 week post op with her next week. Sure hoping I start feeling better sooner than later. I can't imagine how you have felt dealing with recovery for a year! I hope that's not my case... I wanna have another baby within the next year. This thing just leaves a person feeing very emotionally drained. Blah.
Hi, DM - I just got your message here.
You're right - it IS disappointing to have such a "minor" and "minimal" type of surgery turn out to be very hard to get past. I've gone through the exact same thing - and not only that, my bottom area (though MUCH better) is still not like it once was. My surgical area sometimes pains me and gets a bit tender - and it's a reminder that I have to sometimes sit on a pillow, especially if a chair is hard or if I'm traveling a long distance.
Still, I'm glad I had the surgery. I couldn't have gone on with the fissure, which made my life total and complete agony, while I had it.
I know that, given enough healing time, you'll eventually get past this. It does help to know that other have gone through this, struggled, and eventually healed to a reasonable degree. I've been very slow to heal - and the incision area is still a bit tender - but like I said, it's much better. I just sometimes have to deal with the tenderness there - like we would with most any surgery. It's just not a pleasant area to have pain in!
I'm glad you're keeping in touch here. Please let us (me) know how your next appointment goes. I will pray for your healing.
