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Anal Fissure Treatment

Fast, lasting relief from the sharp pain of anal fissures — medicines first, and a small, precise operation only when truly needed.

Anal Fissure

What is an anal fissure?

An anal fissure is a small tear in the lining of the anal canal, usually caused by passing hard stool. It causes a characteristic sharp, cutting pain during and after bowel movements, often with a few drops of bright red blood. Fear of pain leads to stool withholding, which hardens stool further — a cycle that keeps the fissure from healing.

Common causes

  • ✓ Chronic constipation and hard stools
  • ✓ Repeated straining
  • ✓ Persistent diarrhoea
  • ✓ Childbirth
  • ✓ Increased anal sphincter pressure
Know the Signs

Experiencing any of these symptoms?

Common symptoms

  • ✓ Sharp, cutting or burning pain while passing stool
  • ✓ Pain lasting minutes to hours after a bowel movement
  • ✓ Bright red blood on the stool or toilet paper
  • ✓ A visible crack or small skin tag at the anal opening
  • ✓ Fear of going to the toilet

See a doctor urgently for

  • ✓ Fever with throbbing anal pain (possible abscess)
  • ✓ Continuous bleeding
  • ✓ Pain so severe you cannot pass stool at all

Emergency 24×7: 091551 00001

Diagnosis

How is it diagnosed?

A gentle visual examination is usually all that is needed — the fissure is visible at the anal opening, and our surgeons avoid painful internal examination in the acute phase. If anything atypical is seen, further evaluation is arranged and explained first.

Treatment Options

Your treatment options, honestly explained

Non-surgical management

Most acute fissures heal in a few weeks with stool softeners, a high-fibre diet, warm sitz baths and prescribed relaxing ointments. We treat the constipation cycle, not just the tear — that is what prevents recurrence.

Surgical treatment at Bawa Hospital

For chronic fissures that fail medical treatment, lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) — a small, precise release of the tight internal sphincter muscle — gives immediate and lasting relief with success rates above 95%. It is a short day-care procedure under anaesthesia.

We recommend surgery only when it is genuinely the best option for you — and explain why, in plain language, before you decide.

Recovery

What recovery looks like

Day 0

Day-care procedure; home the same day with dramatic relief of the original pain.

Day 1–3

Sitz baths and stool softeners; most patients pass stool comfortably within days.

Week 1

Back to routine activity and desk work.

Week 2–3

Healing confirmed at follow-up; maintain fibre and fluids to prevent recurrence.

Timelines are typical for uncomplicated cases — your surgeon will give you a personalised plan.

Cost & Insurance

Transparent pricing, no surprises

What decides the cost?

The final cost depends on the technique used, the complexity of your case, the type of room you choose and your length of stay. After your consultation you receive a clear, itemised estimate — before you decide anything.

Using health insurance?

Bring your policy details or insurance card and our front-desk team will help you with the paperwork and coordination with your insurer from admission through discharge.

Serving North India

Patients travel to us from across the region

Bawa Hospital in Ludhiana treats patients from across Punjab — including Chandigarh, Mohali, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala, Bathinda, Moga and Khanna — as well as Delhi NCR, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.

For outstation patients we plan the consultation, pre-operative tests and surgery to minimise trips — often completed in a single visit, with follow-up support on WhatsApp.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Will my fissure heal without an operation?

Most acute fissures do — with softeners, fibre, sitz baths and ointments, the majority heal in 4–6 weeks. Surgery is only for chronic fissures that keep recurring or refuse to heal.

Is fissure surgery safe? I have heard it can cause leakage.

In experienced hands, lateral internal sphincterotomy is very safe. The division is small, calibrated and precise; significant continence problems are rare. This is exactly the kind of procedure where an experienced surgeon matters — and that is what you get here.

Why does my fissure keep coming back?

Usually because the underlying constipation or sphincter spasm was never addressed. We treat the cause along with the fissure, and chronic recurrent fissures often have a tight sphincter that only surgery reliably fixes.

How painful is recovery after fissure surgery?

Most patients report the surgical discomfort is far less than the fissure pain they lived with — relief of the original pain is often immediate.

Medically reviewed by Prof. (Dr.) Ashvind Bawa, MS FACS — Director, Surgical Services · Last reviewed July 2026

End the pain cycle

Most fissures heal with the right medical plan. For the rest, a 15-minute procedure ends years of pain.