Anal fissures occur in which part?

Written by Wang Ji Zhong
Internal Medicine
Updated on February 02, 2025
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Anal fissures are an extremely common condition in proctology. They occur in the fragile and narrowest tissue of the anal canal due to the combined effect of various internal and external factors, leading to the opening and cracking of the digestive tract outlet up to the dentate line and the surface of the anal margin. The oval-shaped small ulcers that form from anal fissures usually occur at the anal region, aligning parallel to the longitudinal direction of the anal canal. The condition is often recurrent and difficult to heal. The angle continuation between the anal canal and the rectum means that the posterior wall of the anal canal is under the most pressure during bowel movements. Therefore, the posterior midline is most susceptible to injury and is also the most common site for the occurrence of anal fissures.

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Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
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What should I do if anal fissures keep recurring?

Repeated episodes of anal fissure generally result in the formation of chronic anal fissures. The fissure in chronic anal fissures mainly presents as an ulcer surface, and because the fissure is enclosed within the local sphincter muscles, drainage is poor, thus reducing the likelihood of healing. When patients with anal fissures suffer from long-term recurrent episodes, they also experience spasms of the local anal sphincter and tightening of the anal canal, which can lead to difficulties in bowel movements and dry stools in the anal region. When the spasm of the local anal sphincter worsens, the pain may cause patients to be afraid of defecating voluntarily, thereby creating a vicious cycle of recurrent episodes. The best treatment for recurrent chronic anal fissures is surgical intervention.

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Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
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What should I do if my anal fissure doesn't heal?

If an anal fissure consistently fails to heal proactively, it may be due to the repeated expansion of the fissure, or recurrent instances of dry stools and bleeding, leading to ulcerative, infectious changes at the local fissure. This can progress into a chronic anal fissure. Chronic anal fissures have larger local wound surfaces, and the patient may also experience excessive tightness in the anal canal. The local fissure, wrapped within the tightened anal canal, does not drain well, making self-healing impossible. To treat chronic anal fissures, or recurrent fissures, it is recommended to perform a lateral internal sphincterotomy and further debride the local fissure to ensure complete healing of the anal fissure.

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Written by Deng Heng
Colorectal Surgery
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How long does it take to recover from an anal fissurectomy?

Anal fissure refers to a small ulcer formed by the skin cracking below the dentate line of the anal canal, with the main symptoms being pain and bleeding. Anal fissure excision surgery is one of the surgical treatments for anal fissures. It mainly involves removing the anal fissure, the sentinel piles, and the hypertrophied anal papillae. It also involves cutting a part of the internal and external sphincter's subcutaneous section. The wound is left open for drainage. A disadvantage is that healing is relatively slow, so it generally takes over a month to fully recover after the surgery.

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Written by Hu Xiang Dang
Colorectal Surgery Department
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What is the best treatment for anal fissures?

How should an anal fissure be treated? It can be addressed from several aspects. First, let's talk about general treatment. What is the principle of our treatment? It is to relieve pain after bowel movements and gradually promote the healing of the fissure. However, the first step is to relieve the spasm of the sphincter, then facilitate bowel movements to interrupt the vicious cycle. But what specific measures are there? One is to take a sitz bath with traditional Chinese medicine for pain relief, such as "Shen Soup," and a 1:5000 potassium permanganate solution after defecation, maintaining local cleanliness. Then, by orally taking some laxatives or paraffin oil, feces can be softened and lubricated. Alternatively, by increasing water intake and eating more fiber-rich foods, constipation can be corrected to keep the bowels clear. In more severe cases, such as those with sphincter spasms, we can perform anal dilation under local anesthesia. By dilating the anus, the spasm of the sphincter can be relieved, and the healing of the fissure can also be promoted. However, this method has a relatively high recurrence rate, and there may also be complications such as severe bleeding, perianal abscess, and fecal incontinence. Anal dilation should be treated by a doctor, and patients should not blindly use it themselves. Of course, there is also surgical treatment. Once an anal fissure has reached a certain degree, generally a chronic anal fissure, many patients need to undergo surgical treatment. Naturally, there are several surgical methods available. We choose different surgical methods according to the condition and severity of the anal fissure. For example, if the patient has an anal fissure that presents with sentinel piles and hypertrophic anal papillae, but there is no anal stricture or internal sphincter spasm, a simple excision of the fissure can be performed. This involves removing the pathological tissue of the fissure, excising the infective anal sinus along with the hypertrophic anal papillae and sentinel piles, allowing the fissure wound to drain openly. However, if there is associated anal stricture, or there is an internal sphincter spasm, we also need to perform an internal sphincterotomy.

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Written by Deng Heng
Colorectal Surgery
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The main causes of anal fissures

The main causes of anal fissure formation may be related to the following factors: long-term constipation and hard stools, which cause mechanical damage during defecation as the direct cause for most anal fissures. It is also related to anatomical defects. Due to the superficial layer of the external sphincter forming a weak area at the back of the anal canal, dry stools exert the greatest pressure on the weak area at the back of the anus, making it prone to tearing injuries. Additionally, infection of the anal sinuses can lead to inflammation of the anal canal, and spasms of the sphincter losing its soft characteristics is also a reason for the formation of anal fissures. Furthermore, hard and dry fecal masses passing through the anal canal can easily cause tearing injuries, possibly due to the smaller size of the patient's anus.