People who suffer from hemorrhoids can be of different ages, this disease does not necessarily affect the elderly, as young people have recently suffered. The cause of complications, as a rule, refers to an untreated disease, while a bowel membrane defect begins to occur. When an anal fissure occurs, surgery is in many cases the only treatment option.
What is an anal fissure?
A crack in the anus is a serious disease that causes the patient a lot of trouble. A person constantly experiences discomfort, and during emptying, there is also severe pain, all this greatly interferes with a normal lifestyle. The crack itself is a gap that affects not only the anus, but also the intestinal mucosa. The shapes of such gaps can be different, most often an oval or an oblong triangle is found. As for the size, they can even reach 3 centimeters. It is not necessary to connect such cracks with hemorrhoids, as they can occur independently, and independently of other intestinal diseases.
There are actually many reasons for the occurrence of cracks, it is rather difficult to consider them all, so we will dwell on the basic premises:
- If prolonged diarrhea or constipation is observed, then a crack may result.
- Chronic hemorrhoids.
- Eating spicy foods for a long time or drinking alcohol.
- Mechanical trauma to the intestines.
- Hard work, during which you have to lift the load.
- Other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Of course, to avoid health problems is quite realistic, but for this you should be careful about the situations described above, in any other case, an operation to remove the anal fissure will be required.
Signs of the disease
In medicine, the causes of cracks in the anus are more often considered:
- Long hemorrhoids, which were left without due attention to the person who is sick with them.
- Chronic manifestations of constipation or diarrhea.
- A fixed lifestyle, often office workers who constantly work at the computer suffer and they have stagnation of blood in the small pelvis.
- The disorder is at the hormonal level, it manifests itself in pregnant women.
It is worth noting that young people from 25 to 40 years old are at risk. Most often, anal fissures occur in women, less often in men or small children. As soon as a medical examination is carried out, the doctors diagnose not only the anal fissure, but also the fact that accompanied its occurrence, for example, before this a person could suffer from gastritis.
An anal fissure is performed even for children, if other methods of treatment may be ineffective.
Symptoms of the disease
Damage to the anus is accompanied by certain clinical symptoms, which are simply impossible to ignore:
- During stool, severe pain occurs.
- Itching and burning appear in the anus.
- In feces, blood veins can be seen.
- Frequent constipation.
With a crack in the anal passage, a person may be afraid to go to the toilet, and the child will be capricious, because there is severe pain. At the first symptoms, it is recommended to immediately seek the help of a doctor, as further treatment may not be possible without surgical intervention.
How to diagnose anal fissure
There are many people who put off their trip to the doctor because they are afraid that the examination will be painful. But when the anal fissure grows and causes discomfort, surgery is inevitable, which means that examination by a specialist should also occur. Sometimes, to determine the severity of the whole problem, a visual examination of the doctor is enough, but other methods of examination are also used for complete diagnosis:
- Finger examination.
- Anoscopy
- Sigmoidoscopy.
If the patient has severe pain, then a study is conducted under anesthesia.
Chronic anal fissure
If a person does not consult a doctor for a long time, there is a risk that there will be chronic anal fissure, surgery in this case will be the only treatment. The fact is that a small wound gradually begins to turn into a large crack, which is healed along the edges. It is impossible to get rid of such a crack with the help of medications, since only the symptoms are dulled, but the problem does not completely disappear. The effect of the drugs brings temporary relief, after which the next exacerbation begins with even greater force. In this case, delaying with surgical intervention is not worth it.
Surgical intervention
When conservative methods of treatment do not bring relief, an operation is performed to excise an anal fissure. Typically, two methods are used for excision:
- The classic operation.
- Laser surgery
It cannot be said that these two methods are complex, because, as a rule, the operation ends in only 20 minutes, a lot depends on the condition of the crack and the age of the patient. In order to properly prepare for the operation, you should pass all the tests prescribed by the attending physician, consult with specialists, follow a diet and monitor hygiene.
Indications and contraindications for surgery
If an anal fissure is treated without surgery, and the results of such therapy bear fruit, then there is no indication for surgical intervention, but in most cases the opposite is true. Conservative methods do not always bring the expected effect, within two weeks of such treatment, the crack can grow in size, and the acute form will gradually begin to turn into a chronic one.
An operation to excise an anal fissure is prescribed by a doctor when complications in the form of purulent inflammation appear. In no case can an operation be performed if the patient has open bleeding, in which case the doctor should prescribe medication aimed at stopping the bleeding, and then surgery is performed. It is also not recommended to perform an operation if the patient has a viral or infectious disease due to a weakening of the body and immunity.
How to treat anal fissures
The method of treatment of the disease will depend on how long it takes and what methods are eliminated. If the problem is at an early stage, then only medication can be used. To begin with, the patient is invited to relieve pain and cramping, and then wound healing measures are taken. Of course, during this period, the patient will have to abandon carbonated drinks, alcohol and spicy dishes. In order for the cracks in the anal passage to heal faster, it is recommended to use special candles and ointments.
The effect of such treatment is not always positive, so it is recommended to choose a different method of therapy. If an anal fissure occurs, laser surgery will quickly deprive the patient of a problem. This method is called coagulation, and is performed under local anesthesia. During the procedure, with the help of an infrared ray, the crack is simply removed, a sick person will need a minimum amount of time to recover. Another way to get rid of an anal fissure is considered to be a radio wave operation. In time, it takes only 10 minutes and has many advantages over other methods:
- Recovery from a radio wave operation will only take a few days.
- After excision, a small, almost imperceptible scar remains.
- Soft tissues heal quickly.
Operation Methods
If there is hemorrhoids, anal fissure, surgery is an excellent method to get rid of the disease once and for all. But it is important to know about the types of excision and the principles of the operation:
- The classic operation is not carried out immediately, but in stages. So that the patient does not feel pain, he is given an injection with anesthesia, after which the sphincter of the anus is cut to allow the feces to move freely along the anus, and the wound will heal normally. The surgeon then excises the edges around the fissure and removes the granulation. After a week, the wound is completely healed, but as a side effect, the patient can sometimes feel pain in the anus.
- Electrocoagulation is another method of dealing with anal fissure. The wound is cauterized by current under the influence of high temperatures. Bleeding during such an operation is excluded.
- Electrosurgical coagulation is the most popular method, and is carried out using high-frequency radio waves. With this method, there is no blood, and the wound heals quickly.
- Laser surgery is performed using a laser beam that quickly removes the fissure, but there is no likelihood that an anal fissure will not occur after surgery again.
Only the attending physician will be able to choose the appropriate method for the operation, who will act on the basis of the examination results of his patient.
Rehabilitation after surgery
After the operation, excision of the anal fissure requires a rehabilitation course. It is important to ensure that inflammation does not occur, therefore it is necessary to monitor hygiene and wash the anus after each bowel movement. For this period of time, until the person is fully restored, instead of toilet paper, it is most appropriate to use washing with decoctions of herbs. You can get rid of pain with painkillers. In order for the wound to heal faster, it is necessary to remember the correct lifestyle, it is not recommended to lift weights and lead a sedentary lifestyle, it is also allowed to perform light physical exercises that are aimed at improving blood circulation in the pelvis.
In medicine, there were no cases associated with complications of excision of the anal fissure, everything goes quickly and successfully. So that the patient can recover as soon as possible, you should prepare for the operation and follow the recommendations for rehabilitation.
How to recover quickly after surgery
If the anal fissure was removed, surgery using any method requires rehabilitation and restoration. The patient is recommended not only to monitor their hygiene, but also to eat properly, and also to observe the regimen. You should not eat dairy products, as they can lead to intestinal upset, but it is allowed to eat vegetables and fruits. As a rule, the diet will need to be followed for two months, after which the patient will be able to lead a normal lifestyle and not deny himself anything.
Also, for three months the patient should not lift anything heavy, it is advisable to move more, for example, you can go hiking in the park every evening.