[Late results after individualized lateral internal sphincterotomy].

A total of 75 patients underwent individualized lateral internal sphincterotomy for acute and chronic anal fissure (n = 30) or high pressure hemorrhoids (n = 45) and were followed-up 3 months and 3 years (13-66 months) postoperatively. All but one patient with anal fissure (97%) and 38 out of 45 patients with hemorrhoids (84%) remained symptom free; only one patient (1.3%) occasionally had symptoms of minor incontinence. Following the operation both the maximum resting pressure and the medium anal pressure fell significantly and were completely or nearly normalized in 54 (72%) and 17 (23%) patients respectively. At medium follow-up of 3 months and 3 years postoperatively there was no significant difference in the two sets of postoperative manometric results.