A fissure is a cleft in the skin of the anus. The fissure is caused by a tear in the skin near the anus, often due to hard stools and difficult bowel movements. The tears are often located at the junction of the skin and the mucous membrane of the anus.
The treatment can consist of:
- Cream that relaxes strongly cramped muscles. This should be used for 6 to 12 weeks.
- Botox injection into the sphincter. This remedy gives a temporary relaxation of the cramped muscle, so that the mucosal tear has time to repair.
- LIS procedure (a small, targeted cut in part of the muscle)