Safety and effectiveness of saving sphincter procedure in the treatment of chronic anal fissure in female patients

INTRODUCTION: Lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) is still the approach of choice for the treatment of chronic anal fissure (CAF) regardless to the internal anal sphincter tone but it is burdened by high risk post-operative faecal incontinence (FI). In female patient there are some anatomical and functional differences of the sphinteric system which make them more at risk of FI and vaginal birth could cause sphinteric lesions affecting the anal continence function. The aim of our study is to evaluate the results of saving sphincter procedure as treatment for female patients affected by CAF. METHODS: We studied 110 female patients affected by CAF undergone fissurectomy and anoplasty with V–Y cutaneous flap advancement associating pharmacological sphincterotomy in patients with hypertonic IAS. The follow up was at least for 2 years. The goals were patient’s complete healing, the evaluation of FI, recurrence rate and manometry parameters. RESULTS: All wounds healed within 40 days after surgery. We recorded 8 cases of recurrences 6 healed with medical therapy and 2 with dilatation. We recorded 2 “de novo” temporary and low grade post-operative cases of FI. Post-operative value of MRP were unmodified in patient with normotonic IAS but significantly lower at 12 months follow up as compared with the pre-operative ones in patients with hypertonic IAS; after 24 months from surgery MRP values were within the normal range. CONCLUSION: The fissurectomy and anoplasty with V–Y cutaneous flap alone or in association with a pharmacological sphincterotomy in patients with hypertonic IAS may represent an effective approach for the treatment of CAF in female patients.