Fissure-in-ano and anal stenosis. Part I: conservative management.

Acute superficial fissure-in-ano responds readily to conservative non-surgical treatment. For chronic deep fissures we recommend manual anal dilatation and the post-dilatation regimen but recognise that equally good results follow the simple procedure of subcutaneous lateral internal sphincterotomy. The recurrence rate following these minor procedures is less than 10 per cent and the incidence of poor flatus control and mucus leakage is even lower. It is never necessary to excise fissures nor sentinel piles although it may be desirable to excise large redundant skin tags to facilitate anal hygiene. Painless or atypically sited fissures should suggest the diagnosis of Crohn's disease. Treatment is rarely required for fissure-in-ano in this condition, although severe anal stenosis may need extremely gentle anal dilatation. Postoperative anal stenosis can also be managed successfully by manual dilatation under anaesthesia with a prolonged regimen of self dilatation until healing is complete. Radical or complicated plastic operations are rarely indicated for any patient with fissure-in-ano or stenosis and are strongly contraindicated in Crohn's disease.