Posts by Karen Thompson10

Sophia Brooks50 said:I haven't made any decisions yet... but I plan to... if only someone could tell me whether a rectoscopy is mandatory for a fissure, if it hurts, and how long it takes... that part scares me a little... or do you just go on the table, they sedate you, and that's it? Karen Thompson10, you'll know best. By the way... you've already forgotten all those struggles, lucky you...

Jason Vaughn482, you know I've seen two different doctors and neither one even asked for a rectoscopy, so in my opinion, it's not strictly necessary. I truly believe it's your right to refuse if they ask for it, though from what I understand, it shouldn't really hurt when it's done purely for preventative screening.
But, looking at the situation with a fissure... I’d say it isn't exactly a pleasant procedure, because even a standard exam was painful for me. Honestly, when I think back to the intensity of the pain I felt then, there is absolutely no way I would agree to a rectoscopy BEFORE surgery; once the anesthesia wears off, I think I'd be rolling on the floor in agony. I would wait until AFTER the surgery, once everything has healed, if the surgeon insists on it, because by then it wouldn't hurt at all.
I'm telling you this because I can see how much you're worrying, and I'm terrified that you might talk yourself out of the surgery entirely just because of the rectoscopy. If you have to, just wait and do it later.... 😉

I notice so many people here are scared (especially you two, Jason Vaughn482 and steelangler7 😛, as well as everyone else who reaches out to me via private message), but please believe me, you will lift an enormous weight off your shoulders and your quality of life will skyrocket.
We were all terrified—even I felt like running home right before my surgery 😁—but if you let that fear paralyze you, you're only hurting yourself.
Like Michael Diaz4 said, once you've gone through this, the fear is gone... if anything happened to me now, I'd be heading straight to the hospital without a second thought, no more waiting around.....
Just go through with the procedure (whatever it may be) and you'll feel reborn, not just physically, but most importantly, mentally.

p.s. I haven't forgotten those struggles (honestly, I doubt I ever will), but I'm looking at things through a completely different lens now. None of us had it easy during the recovery process, but we knew that period had to come to an end eventually. And once it does, you're finally free from the pain and you realize it was worth every single bit of it.

steelangler7, don't worry, nobody is going to butcher you at the hospital. The surgeons over at the Rijeka University Hospital Center are actually some of the best in the field, and they perform lateral sphincterotomies too, because sometimes that incision is just medically necessary.
You should really reach out to Jason Vaughn482; I’ve talked to her extensively, and she’s done a ton of research and has some great data that could really help you out.
The bottom line is this: if you're dealing with a chronic fissure that's been hanging around for years, surgery isn't just an option—it's the only real way forward, because any other method is just a temporary fix that'll likely come crawling back in six months.
It's not about choosing private clinics versus public ones, and it's definitely not about how much money you have. Just get it handled at the hospital so you can stop living in constant pain, because honestly, life is too short to suffer like this. 😢

Amanda Bennett41 said:I noticed the bleeding only happens when there's pressure on that area—like when I'm sitting in certain positions. It started happening yesterday, and I can't even get to my doctor until Friday.
Can I ask what your doctor told you or what the actual procedure is like once you go in for the exam?

Just hang in there until Friday so you can finally get a real diagnosis.
Everything became such a huge ordeal for me; you can actually read all about it in my very first posts here. My doctor ended up giving me a completely different diagnosis than the one I had built up in my head just by scouring the internet, which honestly left me feeling pretty shaken.

As for the procedure?
First, you have a little chat with the doctor, then they perform the exam, and yeah, it can feel a bit awkward because... well, let's just say it's not the most comfortable thing ever (though it doesn't hurt), then you talk things through again, and finally, they tell you exactly what's going on and prescribe any necessary meds or creams.
Overall, it’s nothing to fear; it might be a little embarrassing if you're shy, but you'll forget all about it the second you walk out of the office. Plus, it's such a relief to actually know what you're dealing with.
Good luck! 🙂

Look, any time you're dealing with heavy bleeding, it’s never a good sign; honestly, seeing that much blood was enough to send me into a total panic (and thank God for that little scare!), which is exactly what pushed me to finally go see a doctor.
I really don't want to freak you out here, because it is incredibly rare for things to get that intense, but when you're dealing with hemorrhoids, you can lose a lot of blood, and you never know how quickly things might spiral.

It’s most likely nothing to worry about, but if I were in your shoes, I’d head straight to the clinic just to get some peace of mind and clear up any doubt.

Amanda Bennett41 said:What should I do if a tiny little hole opens up on an external hemorrhoid and it just keeps bleeding quite heavily?

Should you see a doctor? 🙂

I mean, honestly, it sounds like it might have burst, and now all that blood is just draining out—it’s probably not life-threatening, much like a small scrape, but it has to be incredibly uncomfortable and painful, so it would be a really smart move to go get checked out by a physician.

Brandon Palmer2, please don't fall back into the trap of opting for that old-school surgery, because it’s just a temporary fix and leaves you stuck in recovery for ages; instead, you should really look into the DG NASA procedure. There have been so many insightful discussions popping up about it lately, so I'd highly recommend diving into the threads... 😉

Casey Rogers47 said:Has anyone here actually gone through the HAL RAR procedure at the Mercury hospital in the city?
I'm wondering how long the recovery period typically lasts after such a modern surgery.

When it comes to the actual procedure itself, you've got access to a huge wealth of fresh information right here, so I’d really suggest giving yourself enough time to sit down and read through at least the last ten pages; that way, you can truly grasp the reality of the situation.
The surgery isn't overly intense, and the recovery usually takes about 10 days—though honestly, I’d say it could be even faster than that, but that's just my rough estimate.

Sophia Brooks50 said:Exactly, Karen Thompson10, you made such a smart move by getting this behind you... now comes the heavy lifting of actually sitting down and having those serious talks with the surgeons. It reminds me of when I mentioned that one specialist over at the Rib clinic told me to skip surgery entirely and just stick with nitroglycerin ointment, but honestly, I just can't live in constant pain anymore... a final decision has to be made eventually.

Thanks so much, vividsailor7, and thanks, Karen Thompson10... I'll shoot you a private message as soon as I hear anything back.

I totally get it, because I went through the exact same thing, but looking back, I really feel like I had a bit of good luck on my side during the whole process.
The hard truth is that even if you were talking to the absolute best surgeon in the entire country, nobody can give you a 100% guarantee that everything will go flawlessly—it's just one of those risks we all have to face.

Based on what you shared with me, I’d say those surgeons in San Francisco are definitely trustworthy, though of course, your specific doctor needs to sit down with you personally first.
Try to trust your gut a little bit too, because at the end of the day, your surgeon needs to make you feel completely confident in them; that’s at least how I made my choice.

Please keep me posted, and I am rooting for you every step of the way! 😉

vividsailor7 said:A fissure is actually a bit more of a headache than hemorrhoids. Are you saying things are backed up? If you don't follow through with the treatment plan, given how bad the fissure is, could it lead to complications like incontinence? Usually, those issues are self-inflicted by patients not sticking to the protocol. You really need a solid examination and expert advice from a specialist. Best regards.

I honestly think what’s weighing on Jason Vaughn482 is just the fact that every single specialist seems to swear by their own specific method while bashing everyone else's approach, which makes it incredibly tough for us patients to make a call when we aren't experts in the field ourselves.

Sophia Brooks50 said:I’m honestly so glad I got to "meet" you like this out of the blue; it makes everything feel a little lighter, and your support and everything you shared really means the world to me... I’m definitely going to take your advice to heart, though for now, my first step is heading back to the hospital for a check-up—even though I actually bolted the last time because they wanted to perform a rectoscopy, so I'm going to grill the doctor with every question I have before I try sticking with the creams and a better diet for a bit longer. It most likely happened because I rely on laxatives so much due to chronic constipation, and honestly, I can't even stop now because if I don't go to the bathroom every single day, I start losing my mind from the discomfort, though maybe I'm just making things worse by doing that.

I am truly so happy that I could be there for you. 😉
Don't feel bad about "just" going to the hospital, because you're still seeing top-tier professionals there, and you certainly don't need to seek private care for every single thing. Just make sure to ask every single question on your mind and push them for direct, concrete answers—don't let them brush you off.

Oh man, relying on laxatives like that is seriously so tough on your system for daily use; if you've been using them long-term, it's like your intestines have basically become lazy and won't even wake up unless you give them that extra nudge.
Constipation is one of the biggest culprits behind fissures forming in the first place. You really have to learn how to get your digestion back on track and overhaul your diet, because if you keep doing exactly what you've been doing, there's absolutely no guarantee you won't end up with another fissure—it's just this endless, frustrating cycle.
I completely overhauled my entire way of eating after my surgery because I made a vow to do absolutely everything in my power to make sure I never had to deal with this again.
Once was more than enough for me... 😳

Sophia Brooks50 said:>>Phil is totally ghosting me—I’ve been calling his office for an entire month now, but whenever I finally get through, he just tells me to come in for an exam without actually explaining what's going on. Honestly, all these appointments are so draining because they're uncomfortable and painful, and it feels like nobody bothers to walk you through the surgical details or even how the process works. That’s why I’m so incredibly grateful I stumbled upon you here; it seems like people dealing with this specific fissure are hard to find. Tell me, where did you pick up that Pavlovic ointment? I really want to give it a shot. Anyway, you are absolutely right to stand your ground—you shouldn't have to overthink it. I used to tell anyone facing gallbladder surgery the same thing I'm telling you: once I got through mine, I felt like I could conquer anything. I was so proud of myself afterward, haha! But now that I'm staring down something unknown and hearing all these scary rumors, it's perfectly normal to feel uneasy.

My best advice is to show up to that consultation fully prepared; write down exactly what you need to know and don't be afraid to demand clear answers, because that's honestly how I picked my surgeon.
And please, trust your gut—your doctor needs to make you feel safe and confident.
I made sure to be super blunt with my questions, even asking things that felt a little awkward because I was so scared; I wasn't shy at all about asking him why he preferred his specific approach over the methods used by another specialist.
One doctor was incredibly patient, thorough, and gave me straight, honest answers, while the other guy was clearly just trying to dodge my questions—you can spot that kind of stalling almost immediately.
So, when you talk to Dr. Phil, make him describe the exact procedure to you in detail, ask about potential side effects, why he believes this specific path is the right one, and then grill him about every other surgical option you've heard whispers about.

I think her mom just grabbed it at a local CVS; it should be available at basically any pharmacy around here.

Oh man, I remember shaking with fear and wanting to bolt from the clinic the moment I arrived 😁, but deep down, I knew I had to push through it.
Looking back, I was so proud of myself and couldn't believe I'd made such a huge deal out of it.
But look, we're talking about surgery under general anesthesia, and since the area being treated is... well, let's just say it's "sensitive," it's completely natural for anyone to feel a bit embarrassed.
This forum was my absolute lifeline; seeing that I wasn't alone in this struggle made the weight feel so much lighter.
For a while, I truly felt like I was the only person on the planet dealing with this "shameful" issue. But honestly, people face life-threatening illnesses every day; there's no reason to beat ourselves up over this.

You're going to get through this, and eventually, you'll look back and laugh at the whole ordeal! 😉

I stayed overnight at the clinic once. It's considered a minor procedure, and I think you could probably head home the same day, but they usually have you stay overnight just to be safe.

Sophia Brooks50 said:You are honestly so sweet, I was actually scrolling through your old posts yesterday and it gave me a bit of peace of mind knowing they didn't push the rectoscopy on you and that general anesthesia is an option—that sounds much more my speed. My biggest worry right now is just the lingering pain afterward and those potential complications; I mean, does incontinence really happen to people later on? That sounds absolutely terrifying. I had a doctor at the hospital who only did a digital exam, and it wasn't even bad until the moment he applied heavy pressure, which was intense. He suggested a rectoscopy, but I was too spooked to stay, so I went to see someone privately instead. They mentioned an anoscopy, but seeing how much I was shaking from nerves, they offered to give me an injection first, though those stabs were definitely painful. I did have a colonoscopy last year under sedation and that went fine, aside from the hemorrhoids and the fissure. The hemorrhoids are quiet for now so I'm leaving them alone, and I'm going to try to tough out this fissure a little longer before making a decision this fall, even though I am incredibly scared. For now, I'm sticking to the kids' ointment, a strict diet, and chamomile baths... is that what you did? Maybe there's a cream I haven't heard of? Thank you so much for everything so far. Next week I’m calling Dr. Phil in Chicago to see what cauterization actually entails, though my private doctor mentioned something about cutting and burning, saying it shouldn't hurt too much later, but I just can't bring myself to $2333 so I'm stuck. Meanwhile, a clinic over on Main Street keeps pushing dilation on me, but I read online that it leads to the same incontinence issues I mentioned, and Dr. Bagatin doesn't even recommend surgery, suggesting nitroglycerin ointment instead—have you ever heard of that?

Anyway, I'm crossing my fingers that things calm down a bit...

Look, I truly believe those three days of post-op pain are worth it if it means the whole ordeal is finally behind you. If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to stop dwelling on the pain and the "what ifs" of the recovery; you're just torturing yourself, and it won't change the outcome.
The most vital thing is picking the right procedure and a surgeon you trust, and once that's done, just try to let go of the anxiety regarding what happens after the surgery.
To be honest, those three days were a bit rougher than the month and a half leading up to it, but when I woke up on the fourth day, I felt zero regret because the pain was gone for good.

I've never heard of anyone suffering such extreme consequences, and I think it's quite rare, though I know the fear is real.
I completely understand being terrified—I was a nervous wreck myself—but honestly, everyone tells you that once you get through the experience, it isn't nearly as scary as you imagined.

I stayed on a diet and ate very plain, simple foods, but I really messed up by applying Faktu to the area.
My doctor at Merkur advised me to use Pavlovic cream, and I only used it for a few days since I moved straight toward surgery anyway.
Try taking warm baths; while hot water isn't great for hemorrhoids, it really helps relax the sphincter, which makes the fissure feel much better.

Please let me know what Dr. Phil tells you; I'm genuinely curious because I have a feeling it might be a really solid option.

I did, and I ended up seeing a different doctor who felt a procedure wasn't necessary yet and just wanted to prescribe nitroglycerin ointment to help.
Well, that usually only works for the first couple of weeks until the fissure becomes chronic; after that, it loses its effectiveness.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and hoping things settle down soon, I really feel for you...

Sophia Brooks50 said:First off, thank you so much for all the info! I’ve been searching for someone who’s actually gone through the surgery for months now without any luck, so if you don't mind me picking your brain a little more, I really appreciate it. I have a super low pain tolerance and I’ve been struggling for about six months already, though my diagnosis was just a shallow fissure (type 2), so maybe that makes it less painful? When I went to see a private specialist, they had to use an anoscope for the exam and gave me two anesthetic injections—I was literally screaming from the pain, even though it was just the shots and not the actual exam itself! It makes me think maybe I was given the wrong advice, because right now I'm just using hemorrhoid cream, and maybe that's why nothing is healing. At the hospital, they suggested using a baby cream or some Pantexol, so I might go back to trying that. Did they perform a rectoscopy on you before the surgery? Honestly, the thought of that scares me to death, especially when the fissure is flaring up. Also, did you have yours under local anesthesia or general anesthesia, and how long does the whole thing take? Sorry for the million questions, I'm just losing my mind here! This all started last year, flared up for a couple of months, then came back after a few days, and now it’s been six months—it’s definitely become chronic. Since you had yours, have your bowel movements returned to normal? Is everything okay now? And did you have to get the stitches removed, or did they just fall out on their own?

Don't even mention it! 🙂
Seriously, ask me anything at all. You should probably check out my very first posts because I think I laid out my entire experience in pretty great detail there.
They didn't specify for me whether mine was shallow or deep, so I couldn't tell you which one you have, but if that doctor had to use anesthetic just to get through the exam, then yeah, it sounds like you just have a really low pain threshold, unfortunately.

I had my exam done with an anoscope without any numbing, but man, the pain afterward was absolutely unbearable.
I can't say for sure if your doctor gave you bad advice since I'm certainly no medical professional, but I can tell you exactly what two different doctors told me.
Whatever you do, don't use hemorrhoid creams on a fissure, and definitely stay away from Faktu, because it honestly just makes the situation worse and ramps up the pain.

They didn't do a rectoscopy on me.
I went under general anesthesia, and I was in the operating room for about an hour and a half, but they were actually performing two different procedures at once, so I'm certain yours will be much quicker than mine.
And yeah, if this has been going on for that long, it has officially become chronic. I totally get that you're terrified, I really do, but I promise you that once you get through the recovery period, you'll look at life through a completely different lens. Once that constant agony finally vanishes and you can just live your daily life without that looming fear of a pain flare-up hitting you, your mental health starts to heal right along with your body.

My bowel movements are totally normal now—actually, they were back to normal just a week after the surgery. As for the stitches, I didn't have to have them pulled out; they just dissolved and fell out on their own, and they didn't hurt a bit.

Sophia Brooks50 said:yeah, I’ve heard about those side effects and honestly, they terrify me, not to mention the post-op pain... how long does that actually last and can you manage it with pills? Is everything okay for you now? How long did you have that fissure? It’s been 6 months for me, but instead of intense pain, it’s more of this constant burning irritation; I have two shallow ones and I'm just slathering every cream imaginable on them, so maybe recommend a specific one... I saw dilation and cauterization mentioned on Dr. Phil's website, maybe they go together, but I also read that dilation could cause incontinence, and now I'm stuck—what am I supposed to do? I live in Rijeka and they don't really offer many options here besides what you did... did you go private or through a hospital?

For me, the intense pain lasted about three days, though obviously, I was on medication that made a massive difference.
And look, I can't help but think I might have been a bit of an outlier, like maybe I'm just a total sensitive soul with a super low pain threshold, which is why it hit me so hard.
Since you mentioned it's mostly just burning for you, I should clarify that for me, it was so bad I couldn't even function normally.
I'm only saying that because someone else might not deal with nearly as much agony after the procedure as I did.

Everything felt fine about a week after the surgery. Generally speaking, a fissure takes about 4 to 5 weeks to fully heal, but the actual pain usually tapers off just a few days after the operation, and then things settle down.

I had my fissure for about a month and a half, but I mistakenly thought the pain was coming from hemorrhoids, so I kept using hemorrhoid creams, which my doctor told me actually just made everything worse.
I'm not sure what you're using, but both doctors I spoke to recommended sticking to a very mild diaper rash cream meant for babies, emphasizing that the area needs to heal and you absolutely shouldn't use anything harsh or aggressive.

Dilation and cauterization are actually two separate procedures.
To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about either of them. When my doctor started explaining dilation to me, I felt like the room was spinning, and I had no idea it carried its own set of risks too.

It seems like every single procedure comes with its own baggage.
I went through a private clinic, but my doctor mentioned that hospitals perform the exact same thing and it's really up to me where I want to go, since there isn't much difference.
The only real issue with the hospital was the massive waiting list, and I just couldn't wait any longer.

If you decide to go through with the surgery, please try your best to find a surgeon who is highly skilled and experienced...

Good luck! 😉

Sophia Brooks50 said:Please, tell me what you've been reading on the forums and what kind of side effects we're actually talking about... I'm honestly terrified of going under the knife, but I can't take this pain anymore after six months.

Are you talking about a lateral sphincterotomy?
I saw someone posting here mentioning that some surgeons actually advised against it because of the potential fallout.
To be honest, I haven't been able to find much hard data or solid statistics online, but from what I gather, the worst-case scenarios involve losing control over gas or bowel movements after the procedure.
Does that answer your question?

Look, I was in so much agony that I couldn't even think straight—if they had told me they needed to amputate my arm just to make the pain stop, I probably would have said yes, if that's not a total exaggeration.
Everything turned out perfectly for me, truly, it couldn't have gone better, but there’s always that nagging "what if" hanging in the air, isn't there?
I've seen stories on here from people facing much tougher situations, and it's easy to feel like I could have easily ended up in that same boat.

If I were making the choice all over again right now, I’d head straight to a consultation with Phil to get a real, clear explanation of what RF cauterization actually entails, since the internet is basically a ghost town when it comes to actual info on it.
My final decision would really hinge on whatever he tells me during that talk.

As for the DG HAL, I'd definitely do it all over again; I am so happy with those results. I just wouldn't take any more big risks unless it became absolutely necessary, of course.

Christian Smith2 said:Check out this great video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05FuzfakqmI

I really have to hand it to you—with the way you write these posts, you could honestly pass for a doctor! 🙂
I was actually just about to step in and try to "correct" you regarding the THD method, but then you went and dropped that video on us!
I was actually planning to head over to THD to get things sorted, so I gave them a ring to book an appointment. The woman on the line told me it wasn't a problem at all, though she did mention that their specialist only flies in from Israel once a month, so I'll just have to be patient and wait for that window to open up.
So, when I finally sat down and walked her through everything—explaining that I'm actually dealing with an external hemorrhoid—she just shook her head and told me that THD is strictly for internal issues. She was adamant that if you're dealing with prolapse, that procedure isn't going to do a thing for you, almost like suggesting you'd use a specialized indoor paint to fix a massive crack in your home's exterior foundation.
After that whole ordeal, I decided to seek out a second opinion from a specialist elsewhere, hoping they might see things differently. I honestly asked him straight up if I still stood a chance at qualifying for THD because, truth be told, that’s exactly where I’d rather be, but he just gave me the bad news—he said I really should have stepped up much earlier in the process, and because of the prolapse issues, it’s just not looking like an option anymore.
So, I’m sitting here thinking about how you’re posting this... look, I am genuinely thrilled with my DG HAL results and I don't regret a single thing, but it honestly blows my mind—is it actually possible to get totally wrong information from two different sources at the same time? 😲
I’ve actually gone as far as telling people straight to their faces that there's absolutely no point in even attempting the THD method if they're still dealing with external issues.

It’s actually pretty surprising when you look at all the medical clinics around the city, because out of everything available here in the States, only two places like Leptir and Arithera are actually running DG HAL RAR.
I happened to catch somewhere that a doctor over in a clinic near Zelina is actually using that same method, so if you're still out there digging for details, it might be worth looking into!

I honestly walked away thinking that THD and DG HAL were just two different labels for the exact same procedure, almost like calling a touchdown a field goal when you're talking about scoring, but after sitting down and really picking the brains of my doctors, I’ve realized there’s a subtle distinction there because they were incredibly firm about treating them as two entirely separate approaches. Now, here's the thing... 🤷

shadowsailor10 said:Hey everyone,
I’ve been dealing with ulcerative colitis for about ten years now, and while I thought I knew exactly how much pain I could handle from occasional inflamed hemorrhoids,
everything changed two months ago when one of them basically burst—it feels external since it's right at the edge—causing heavy bleeding for five days straight and leaving me with a low-grade fever every evening for about ten days, hovering around 99 or 100 degrees. It landed me on a three-week course of antibiotics,
under the close watch of my gastroenterologist...
Between staying on top of hygiene, drinking tons of fluids, having fruit compote, some homemade castor oil, and using Hemophagen ointment, things have stabilized, but I still feel this
painful little wound on the hemorrhoid area
, and it just won't go away...

That sounds almost certainly like an anal fissure! They can be incredibly painful and often come with those spikes in temperature you mentioned. You also specifically mentioned a wound, which is a huge clue. Honestly, topical creams aren't going to fix this; you need actual treatment to heal the tissue. The scary part is that fissures can actually expand over time, which makes them dangerous because they can lead to much more complicated issues, like an abscess or a fistula. Do a quick search online to see what I mean. You mentioned seeing a doctor, but did you see a proctologist specifically? If you haven't had a specialist take a look, you might just be treating symptoms instead of the cause. Go see a specialist.

And just so you know, a fissure is almost always accompanied by what people call a "sentinel pile"—a sort of guard hemorrhoid right next to the tear—so many people mistakenly think the pain is coming from a hemorrhoid when it's actually the fissure itself. Those tiny wounds can be incredibly hard to spot on your own, which is exactly why you need a professional to check it out.

Gary Evans69 said:Hey there!
About two months ago, I started dealing with this intense pain and burning sensation every single time I had to use the bathroom. A few days later, I noticed a little bump, about the size of a kidney bean, right on the outer edge. After falling down an internet rabbit hole, I convinced myself it was probably just an anal fissure, which was eventually confirmed by a specialist I saw about a month and a half later. In the meantime, I tried everything from various ointments to Pilex tablets, but they only took the edge off without actually healing anything. Now, the real nightmare is the treatment plan my doctor is pushing, especially since the bleeding gets pretty heavy every time I go—it actually got even worse after he did an exam using some kind of instrument. My doctor wants me to perform manual dilation using two fingers along with some 5% EMLA cream. Honestly, with how much this hurts, it feels completely impossible. I went back for a follow-up yesterday, and he actually tried to do the dilation himself right then and there, but I had to refuse because the pain was just too overwhelming.
I’m really wondering if there’s any other way to heal a fissure besides this dilation thing, because these last two months have been a total living hell. I start panicking every time I have to head to the restroom because I know exactly what kind of misery is waiting for me and how long the aftermath will last.

There are Botox injections you can get near the fissure to help relax the whole area so the wound can finally close up. You usually need a series of them, spaced out about two weeks apart, and yeah, they aren't exactly painless, but it's non-invasive and doesn't carry major risks. The downside? They are incredibly expensive, and there's a decent chance the fissure might just come back anyway.

Then there's lateral sphincterotomy, which is a more invasive procedure—basically a minor surgery where they make a small incision above the fissure to relax the sphincter tone so it can heal. It takes about four to five weeks to fully heal, though the pain usually subsides after about a week. I won't sugarcoat it: for the first three days after my surgery, I felt like screaming from the pain, but after that, it was gone completely. Just keep in mind that since it's surgery, there are complications to consider, so you really need to find a top-tier surgeon. I rushed into mine quite suddenly without fully grasping the potential side effects, so I just went for it. Looking back at all the stories shared here on the forum, I honestly don't know if I'd make the same choice again. I think I just got lucky.

As for that anal dilation... maybe try reaching out to another member who might have gone through it; it would be good to get a second perspective. It sounds less intense than a sphincterotomy, but I don't know enough about it to say for sure. One thing bugs me, though: why didn't your doctor offer you local anesthesia to dull the pain? Is that even an option? And is it a one-and-done thing, or do you have to keep repeating it? If it's just a single session, it might be worth the struggle. Definitely ask about the potential side effects before you commit.

My best advice? Get a second (or third) opinion. Every doctor is going to pitch their own specific method, but eventually, you'll find someone whose approach actually makes you feel confident and heard.
Hang in there! 🙂

Thomas Doyle462 said:So, here’s my update about six weeks after having the DG-HAL procedure done privately with Dr. Ivanovic. Unfortunately, I don't have much good news to share. Aside from a few days dealing with some really hard stools, I didn't have any major issues during the recovery period. BUT, about two weeks ago, everything flared up again—this time it's an external hemorrhoid, and honestly, it feels like this isn't over. About a week ago, I started feeling a burning sensation during bowel movements, and things have just been getting worse over the last seven days. I’m pretty sure I’ve developed an anal fissure that’s starting to get complicated. I started using some Hades cream, which provides a little relief; it helped my dad when he went through something similar, so I'm crossing my fingers it works for me too. All in all, in my case, that "permanent" fix didn't quite stick, and if things keep heading downhill like this, I’m going to have to give the DG-HAL method a big thumbs down since it’s only been about a month and a half since the surgery.
I think this forum exists precisely so people can see every side of the story, and unfortunately, my experience falls right into that "4-6%" recurrence rate they mention in their marketing.
So, here is my breakdown of DG-HAL+RAR:
1. Painless—that's not true; it hurts, though maybe not quite as intensely as the other options out there.
2. A 94-96% success rate in preventing recurrence—not accurate for me, as I dealt with my first post-op hemorrhoid and a fissure just a month after the procedure.
3. Quick return to work—this part is true; I was back at my job ten days after the operation.
4. No complications—well, except for some trace bleeding during bowel movements for about three weeks, then yeah, it's true.
5. Would I do the surgery again given this experience and the circumstances? — Maybe. The bleeding stopped, and I honestly didn't believe the recurrence part would happen to me, so the main issue now is the fissure, which is something I might have ended up with regardless of how I handled it.
Take care; keeping a cool head and staying well-informed will help you make the right call and find a way out of your problems, but my advice is: don't wait too long...

I am so sorry you're going through a relapse because I know firsthand how miserable that can be. That was actually my biggest fear. Looking at the forum so far, we've seen two positive experiences with Dr. Ivanovic and two that were clearly not as successful. I still feel like the DG-HAL RAR method is a solid choice for many, but it might be worth checking out other clinics and seeing what else is out there. 🤷

It’s really kind of you to share your story like this, and you hit the nail on the head saying we need to stay level-headed, even though that's a lot easier said than done when you're actually in pain.
Lately, I've been hesitant to give anyone advice, but I really have to tell you: please don't ignore that fissure, because if it turns into a chronic issue, the pain is absolutely brutal.
Maybe try looking for some other specialists who handle this; there are plenty of different ways to treat it...

Thomas King28 said:Michael Diaz4 and Karen Thompson10, if you guys ever find yourselves down in Boston, consider the offer open—I'd love to host you all for lunch or something similar, especially since I'm finally feeling more like myself again and am genuinely optimistic about getting back to my old way of life.

I'm actually based out of Chicago, but man, thank you so much for the kind offer, that really means a lot. 🙂
And you absolutely should stay positive, because those setbacks are firmly in the rearview mirror now, like a storm that's finally passed and left everything clear behind you.