Anal Fissure Treatment in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What is anal fissure treatment?
Anal fissure treatment is care that helps a split in the skin lining the anal canal to heal. A fissure usually causes a sharp, cutting pain during a bowel movement, followed by a burning ache that can last for an hour or more, and a streak of bright red blood on the paper.
The detail that explains the whole treatment plan is muscle spasm. The pain of the tear makes the internal sphincter, the ring of muscle inside the anus, clench tightly. That tight muscle reduces blood flow to the tear and stretches it again with the next stool, so the fissure stays open. Every treatment, from ointments to surgery, aims to relax that muscle and restore blood flow so the lining can close.
At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, anal fissure treatment is provided by the general surgical team, alongside its colorectal surgery service.
Who needs it
Anal fissure treatment is for anyone with pain on opening the bowels, bleeding on the paper, or a small tender skin tag at the edge of the anus. A fissure is described as acute when it is recent and chronic when it has lasted for several weeks or keeps returning. A chronic fissure often has a small skin tag, sometimes called a sentinel pile, at its outer end.
Hard stools and straining are the usual triggers, and constipation is common in the UAE, where hot weather, low water intake and a diet light in fibre all contribute. Fissures also appear after childbirth and with bouts of diarrhoea. Help with the underlying bowel habit is available through the constipation and bloating service.
Rectal bleeding always deserves a proper examination. The surgeon confirms the fissure and checks for other causes, such as piles, which are covered on the haemorrhoids treatment page.
What happens
Treatment follows a step-by-step plan that starts with the simplest measures.
- Softer stools. More fibre from fruit, vegetables, pulses and wholegrains, plenty of water, and a fibre supplement or stool softener where needed, so that stools pass without stretching the tear.
- Warm baths. Sitting in a shallow bath of warm water relaxes the sphincter and eases the ache after a bowel movement.
- Prescribed ointment. The surgeon may prescribe an ointment that relaxes the internal sphincter and improves blood flow to the tear. It is applied regularly for a course of several weeks, and a numbing gel may be added for comfort.
- Surgery for a chronic fissure. When a fissure persists despite these measures, the surgeon discusses an operation.
The surgical options at Dar Al Kamal Hospital are:
- Sphincterotomy. The surgeon makes a small, controlled cut in part of the internal sphincter to release its tension. The fissure then has the blood supply it needs to heal.
- Laser. A laser is used to treat the fissure and relax the tight muscle with a precise, targeted approach.
- Conventional surgery. The surgeon trims the scarred edges of the fissure and removes any skin tag, creating a fresh surface that can heal, sometimes combined with a sphincterotomy.
These procedures are usually day cases under general anaesthesia or a spinal anaesthetic. Your surgeon explains which option suits your fissure and why.
Preparing for it
For the first steps, preparation means changing daily habits. Build up fibre gradually to limit bloating, drink water steadily through the day, and respond promptly to the urge to open your bowels. Keep a simple note of pain and bleeding to share at your follow-up visit.
Before surgery, you receive a pre-operative check and fasting instructions. Bring a list of your medicines and tell the team about blood thinners and any medicines for blood pressure or the heart, as these affect the choice of ointment. During Ramadan, spread water intake between iftar and suhoor and include fibre at both meals to keep stools soft; if an operation is planned, discuss its timing around fasting early.
Afterwards
A sphincterotomy releases the spasm behind the sharp pain on opening the bowels, and the small wound itself is mildly sore for a short time. After conventional surgery or laser treatment, some discomfort and spotting of blood are normal as the area heals.
Keep stools soft for the long term, because the same habits that heal a fissure also help keep it from returning. Warm-water rinses after each bowel movement are soothing, and loose cotton underwear keeps the area dry in the Sharjah heat. Your surgeon advises when to return to desk work, driving and physical work.
Contact the hospital urgently if you have heavy bleeding, increasing pain, a fever, or swelling near the anus. **Go to the emergency department straight away if you pass large amounts of blood or clots, or if you feel faint.**
Cost and insurance
Most UAE insurance plans cover clinic visits and prescribed ointments for an anal fissure, although some policies limit certain medicines. Surgery for a chronic fissure usually requires pre-approval, with a record of the treatment already tried supporting the request. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you check your cover on 06 599 7777.
Related services
Frequently asked questions
What are the risks of anal fissure treatment?
The risks of anal fissure treatment depend on the step. Prescribed ointments can cause headaches or light-headedness. Surgery carries the risks of bleeding, infection and a reaction to the anaesthetic, and a sphincterotomy carries a small risk of reduced control of wind or, less often, stool. A fissure can also come back. Your surgeon explains how these apply to you.
Will an anal fissure heal on its own?
A recent anal fissure often heals on its own within a few weeks once stools are kept soft and straining stops. A fissure that lasts longer, or keeps returning, is less likely to heal without treatment that relaxes the sphincter muscle, such as a prescribed ointment or surgery.
How do I know if it is a fissure or piles?
A fissure typically causes sharp pain during and after a bowel movement with a small amount of bright red blood, while piles more often bleed without pain. The two can occur together, and only an examination can confirm which you have, so any rectal bleeding should be checked by a doctor.
Does anal fissure surgery affect bowel control?
Anal fissure surgery aims to protect bowel control, and a sphincterotomy divides only part of the internal muscle. There is a small risk of reduced control of wind afterwards, and less often of stool. If you already have any leakage, or have had previous anal surgery or a difficult childbirth, tell your surgeon, as this affects the choice of operation.
Is laser fissure treatment painful?
Laser fissure treatment is carried out under anaesthesia, so you feel nothing during the procedure. Some soreness is expected afterwards while the area heals, and your surgeon gives you pain relief and advice on keeping stools soft.
Can I prevent an anal fissure from coming back?
You can lower the chance of an anal fissure coming back by keeping stools soft with fibre and water, avoiding straining, and going to the toilet when you feel the urge. Treating constipation early, especially during hot weather or fasting, helps protect the healed lining.
Why does an anal fissure hurt so much?
An anal fissure hurts because the lining of the lower anal canal is rich in pain nerves, and each bowel movement stretches the tear. The pain also triggers spasm of the internal sphincter muscle, which causes the lasting ache afterwards.
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