Anal Fissures
Anal fissures are small tears or cuts in the ano-rectal mucosa. Fissures often cause extreme pains that make toileting very difficult. Sometimes, patients complain of the inability to pass bowel movements or gas due to tightening or spasms of the internal anal sphincter muscle underlying the mucosal tear.
Many symptoms of anal fissures overlap with those of internal hemorrhoids. On occasion, the patient will have both of these problems that are contributing to their symptoms. The first step to getting the correct diagnosis is to make an appointment to see one of our physicians for an evaluation.
Anal fissures can be caused by a variety of conditions. Chronic constipation and difficulty defecating are the largest cause of fissures. Ano-rectal tissues can only stretch a certain amount before the skin tears or “gives way.” Once the tissue is inflamed and/or torn, the underlying sphincter muscle continues to aggravate the tear by contracting with relentless spasm.
Other causes of anal fissures can be due to forcefully evacuating the rectum, penetration injuries, breakdown of old episiotomy or fissure scars, or tightening and congestion of the tissues due to moderate to severely inflamed internal hemorrhoids.
NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT of anal fissures can be accomplished in the large majority of sufferers. There are very few cases that will require surgical correction. Non-surgical treatment is the preferred method of treatment and can be started by meeting with one of our physicians who will create a comprehensive plan to recovery.
Treatment usually starts with the use of a specially made topical compound to assist in relieving the pain of the fissure and quieting the spasm of the internal sphincter muscle. We combine this with our special recommendations to increase the effectiveness of the body’s healing.
By providing a multi-focal and non-surgical approach, patients have significant improvement with the symptoms and healing of anal fissures, and most importantly, the return of their quality of life!
