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Anal Fissure Treatment in Dubai

Anal Fissure

For patients seeking anal fissure treatment in Dubai, Dr. Murtaza Pithawala is a board-certified surgeon in Dubai with comprehensive experience in the correction of anal fissures. Because colorectal issues tend to be sensitive, Dr. Murtaza’s first priority is making his patients comfortable. His office is private and inviting, allowing patients to have peace of mind while receiving premier colorectal treatment. With a reputation for providing among the best anal fissure treatment Dubai has to offer, Dr. Murtaza may be the perfect fit for your upcoming treatment.

Definition

An anal fissure is a cut or tear in the lining of the anus. The anus is the opening through which stool leaves the body. Tears generally occur just inside the opening.

Anal Fissure

Causes

In most cases, tearing is the result of trauma to the anal lining. Trauma can be caused by:

A large, dry, or hard stool
Frequent diarrhea
Tightened anal sphincter, a group of muscles that open and close the anus
Childbirth
Anal irritation

Risk

Factors that may increase your chances an anal fissure:

Constipation
Straining to pass a bowel movement
Prior anal surgery, which can cause scarring and decrease the tissue's elasticity
Chronic diarrhea
Anoreceptive intercourse
Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis

Symptoms

An anal fissure may cause:

Pain during and after a bowel movement, which may last for few minutes to few hours, and in some patients for the rest of the day, disturbing his ability to carry out his day to day routine tasks and also work.
Burning sensation during a bowel movement
Bleeding with bowel movements that result in bright red blood either on the toilet tissue or in the bowl
Small amounts of mucous may be present

Apprehension about bowel movement pain may cause you to delay bowel movements. This can make the symptom worse.

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. Anal fissures are generally visible, so diagnosis can be made with an anal exam. If it is not visible, but suspected, your doctor may need to do other tests as long as it is not too painful. These tests include:

Digital rectal exam—to feel for any lumps or abnormalities
Anoscopy—examination of the anal canal with a scope
MRI scan or CT scan if:
- The fissure not visible on exam
- The diagnosis is unclear
- There is significant bright red bleeding in someone with an increased risk for colon or rectal cancer
- There are features suggesting a secondary anal fissure

Fissures usually occur in predictable locations around the anus. If there are multiple cuts, or a cut in an unusual location, the doctor may order additional tests to look for other conditions.

Treatment

Treatment aims to heal the cut and prevent future anal problems. Most early fissures can be heal on their own or with self-care. Fissures that are fairly new are easier to heal than the ones that have persisted for longer than 2 months. Hence it is always better to seek earlier advice to give medications the best chance to heal you.

Treatments include:

Self-care

Fissures may heal by changing some of your daily habits. These include:

Warm sitz baths, especially after bowel movements, to help relieve pain and promote healing
Increasing dietary fiber intake
Increasing fluid intake
Using stool softeners or bulk laxatives

Medications

Your doctor may prescribe:

Topical medications to reduce pain and inflammation
Topical nitrates and calcium channel blockers to increase blood flow to the anus and promote healing
Inject BOTOX to relax tightened anal sphincter muscles and help heal the fissure. This is an easy office procedure which has good success rate. Patient walks out of the clinic in a very short time and effects last for 2-3 months which is sufficient time to heal 60-70% of fissures.

Surgery

Surgery may be necessary for:

Fissures that do not heal with other treatment methods
Scar tissue or spasms in the anal sphincter muscles that may also delay healing
Recurrent fissures

Surgical procedures include:

Lateral internal sphincterotomy—A tiny incision is made in the sphincter muscle fibers to prevent spasms that result in straining during a bowel movement.
Fissurectomy—Excision of the fissure.
o Anal dilation—Rare procedure that widens and stretches the anal canal. Not preferred by Dr Murtaza as it can cause long term damage to sphincter muscles.