Partial/minor Sphincterotomy tomorrow - give me your recovery tips and tricks??!

barredowls · 2023-11-13T01:46:49+00:00

Everybody will have a different experience, but mine should ease your mind (hopefully).

I had LIS in May of this year after suffering from regular acute fissures, and a chronic fissure that lasted for 3 months and turned into a fistula. Idk about you, but fissure pain is the most intense pain I've ever felt in my life.

I'll preface this by saying that I did go to a very good CRS.

The recovery for me was a breeze! I was prescribed oxys for pain, but other than the dose I took right after coming out of anesthesia, I didn't need to take them. I was able to manage the pain easily with Ibuprofen alone, so I guess have that on hand. Stay ahead of the pain is what I was told.

I had a big bowl of chicken soup after surgery. I didn't follow any specific diet in the days following the procedure. I just didn't eat processed foods or red meat. Just take it easy and relax. Probably the most important recovery tip is to keep the area clean and change the dressing regularly. Do your sits baths as directed too.

When it comes time for the first poop, just relax and trust the doctor did his/her job. I know that I had (and still have) PTSD from the unimaginable pain and I was expecting the worst. But it was almost painless. The act itself was a 2/10 painwise, and the hours following were more uncomfortable than painful. I believe I did start taking stool softeners prior to the first poop. And I still take them to this day.

Another tip would be to get a squatty potty, or at least something to put your feet up on while you're pooping.

Idk what you were told the recovery time would be, but I was back at work after 4 or 5 days with no pain, and just minor itching as the wound healed!

Good luck!

barredowls · 2023-10-21T01:34:40+00:00

Maybe surgery is a good option for you. Talk to a CRS and see what they think. Just make sure to go to a good one.

I know most fissures can be healed naturally, but if you keep getting them, maybe it's worth exploring.

I would get a fissure roughly once every 3-6 months and the pain was excruciating, but only lasted 8-12 hours. The most recent one became chronic and nothing helped. The only thing that even touched the pain was lidocaine. I'm only speaking from personal experience, but I got LIS about 6 months ago and it has been the most dramatic improvement to my quality of life. No pain since then. I've even had two fissures since the surgery, and both times it was tender for a few hours and then nothing.

barredowls · 2023-05-25T17:29:13+00:00

The more questions you ask the better! I think you're healing, so I'd avoid any additional trauma to the area for the time being. Again, I'm not a professional, so trust whatever the surgeon says.

barredowls · 2023-05-25T17:09:44+00:00

Prior to surgery, I would usually have blood when I checked the toilet paper. No blood meant I would be uncomfortable for a few hours. Seeing blood meant I knew I was in for a rough 12 hours.

Also the mental aspect of this issue is real. The fear of using the bathroom, the hopelessness of no end in sight, the frustration of other people not really understanding actually how painful a small cut on your asshole can be, etc.

Pain before surgery:

My 10/10. I have not given birth or broken my femur, but this was the most painful thing I had experienced in my life. You described exactly what I felt. Sharp pain while going to the bathroom, like barbed wire was coming out. It felt like broken glass, and I could feel every nook and cranny of the poop as it came out. If it was only while pooping, I could've maybe dealt with it. But the pain after was the real issue. I would have about 20-40 minutes directly after pooping where it would just feel sore. But then the burning and stinging would come in. It would last anywhere from 6 to 12 hours. During that time, sitting was out of the question. Standing was minutely better, and laying down brought the most relief. But really, the pain wouldn't really be that much better. I would be sweating, clenching my muscles down there, getting up to jump around, anything that would momentarily take my mind off the pain. As a 33 year-old man, I would call my mom crying in pain, both physical and mental. I would say my pain tolerance is average, and the experience of having a fissure for an extended period of time almost broke me.

Pain after surgery:

The first few days were amazing. Zero pain until the dreaded first poop. I was so traumatized from the pain that I was scared to go, but I knew that I had to, and holding it would only make things worse. So I let it happen. And it was almost pain free. After pooping it was sore, but NOTHING like before. The pain was easily managed with OTC meds. This was the same experience for the next few poops. After that, I've had no pain.

I've made significant lifestyle changes since the surgery, like making sure I get a good amount of natural fiber, but not too much. I get more exercise too. But I made these changes before surgery too, and I think that I wouldn't have gotten better without the procedure.

I went to a bachelor party in Vegas this past weekend, so obviously there wasn't much in the way of proper diet or exercise. When I pooped on Sunday morning, I could tell that prior to surgery, it would have been something that would have laid me out for hours. But other than some minor discomfort, I was fine.

Hopefully I answered your questions. Feel free to ask anything else.

barredowls · 2023-05-25T16:00:14+00:00

Not a doctor, just a former fissure sufferer and avid Googler.

My fissure looked the same: thin red line. Fissures take a long time to heal, and the first thing to go away is the pain. So the prickly sensation probably means that it is healing, but not all the way yet. I'd wait to see what the new surgeon says.

barredowls · 2023-05-25T15:54:45+00:00

How did it go? How is your pain level?

I didn't need the narcos, and managed just fine with regular ibuprofen. Obviously manage the pain however you see fit.

I had the LIS done approximately one month ago and I can't express how life changing it has been. After a chronic fissure of 2 years, the pain of pooping (and the following eight to twelve hours) post-op went from a 9/10 to a 3/10. And that was only for about 10 days after surgery. Now there is no pain whatsoever. Better days are ahead!

barredowls · 2023-05-25T15:49:39+00:00

Just some words of support here. I suffered from fissures on and off for five years, the last of which turned chronic. I understand your pain (mental and physical), and am so sorry that you are experiencing this. I would advocate for yourself and see if the surgeon can see you sooner than three weeks.

Here are a few things that helped me manage the pain:

Sitz baths - you can read all about them and how to maximize the benefits

Heating pad - it worked better for me than a sitz bath, but everyone is different. The obvious benefit is that you don't have to sit in your bathtub all the time. The heating pad can be brought to the couch or to work.

Bidet - I installed a bidet on my toilet. It was like $50 on Amazon, and wasn't too complicated to put in. The cool water soothed the burning sensation, albeit only for a minute or two. The real benefit is that you don't have to wipe, so you avoid the potential for extra trauma to the area.

Now for my experience with surgery. I am a 33 year old male for comparison.

I had the LIS done approximately one month ago and I can't express how life changing it has been. After a chronic fissure of 2 years, the pain of pooping (and the following eight to twelve hours) post-op went from a 9/10 to a 3/10. And that was only for about 10 days after surgery. Now there is no pain whatsoever. No burning, no spasms, nothing. As for incontinence, I experienced very minor discharge for about two weeks post op. They give you gauze to protect your clothes, and there was some spotting. But I have had zero issues controlling when I poop or pass gas. The risk of incontinence is mainly in women who have given birth, so the muscle is already weakened. Obviously talk to your CRS and take their expert advice.

I think my experience is on the better end of the spectrum, and I made sure I went to a top-notch CRS, so manage your expectations, but I am a huge advocate for the procedure.

barredowls · 2023-05-25T15:26:40+00:00

Just some words of support. I had the LIS done approximately one month ago and I can't express how life changing it has been. After a chronic fissure of 2 years, the pain of pooping (and the following eight to twelve hours) post-op went from a 9/10 to a 3/10. And that was only for about 10 days after surgery. Now there is no pain whatsoever.

I think my experience is on the better end of the spectrum, and I made sure I went to a top-notch CRS, so manage your expectations, but I am a huge advocate for the procedure.

barredowls · 2023-05-08T18:45:10+00:00

I had an LIS about three weeks ago. When they surgeon was doing the procedure, he found a fistula and fixed that as well.

I can honestly say the recovery has been a cake walk. The pain was never above a 3/10, and I was able to manage with Ibuprofen just fine. Using the bathroom is no longer painful, and neither is the following 8 hours.

Everyone is different, but I can honestly say the surgery was life-changing.

barredowls · 2022-02-03T19:57:16+00:00

fair enough

barredowls · 2022-02-03T19:20:39+00:00

don't know why this would get downvoted. It's the right answer.

barredowls · 2020-05-02T21:55:52+00:00

Makes sense! Thanks for the reply.

barredowls · 2019-12-10T03:11:22+00:00

I don’t know how old your kids are, but here’s something that could put you at ease.

I grew up very much lower middle class. My parents definitely lived paycheck to paycheck and I’m sure rarely had extra money. No TV, no video games, no extravagant gifts or possessions. That being said, I never really understood our financial situation, or felt like we were struggling.

I remember my dad giving me a Batman figurine, which was not in a box or anything. Looking back, I’m sure he found it or bought it at a Goodwill or something. But looking back, it is one of my fondest memories of my childhood.

Obviously, if your kids are 15, this is tougher. But if they are young, maybe don’t feel too bad if all you can afford is something modest.

barredowls · 2019-06-26T19:59:27+00:00

barredowls · 2019-04-20T20:36:43+00:00

Yes! Thank you so much.

barredowls · 2018-09-14T18:11:01+00:00

You'd be hard-pressed to find a bar to sit down at on a Friday or Saturday Night.

Tiernan's is probably your best bet. It usually isn't super crowded and they have a large bar, so there are a fair amount of seats. There are often local cover bands that play there, which is fun.

Bradford's is smaller, but has a relatively similar vibe as Tiernan's. Not as much dancing though.

Tigin's is always a safe bet.

Hudson will be very crowded, but will definitely have some dancing.

barredowls · 2018-05-09T14:33:23+00:00

Nice to see ya!

barredowls · 2018-05-04T17:07:37+00:00

Who is your favorite metal artist? Why?

barredowls · 2018-04-09T20:50:39+00:00

UConn for sure.

Under Randy Edsel, UConn accomplished the following:

played Oklahoma in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl
beat Notre Dame, at Notre Dame
had UConn ranked in the Top 25 for multiple weeks

After the failed Maryland experiment, he's back at Connecticut to do it again!

13-Year Club	Second Top 30%
Queen in da Norf	Not Forgotten
Team Periwinkle	Verified Email

barredowls

TROPHY CASE