Long term outcomes after lateral anal sphincterotomy for anal fissure: a retrospective cohort study

Lateral anal sphincterotomy is the gold standard of surgical treatment for anal fissure. Patients undergoing this procedure are warned about the risk of incontinence; however, there are few reports on long-term outcomes. We conducted this study to investigate long-term outcomes after lateral anal sphincterotomy, focusing specifically on postoperative incontinence.

Patients who underwent lateral anal sphincterotomy at a university teaching hospital between 1998 and 2004 were sent questionnaires to allow us to assess their continence according to the Cleveland Continence Score.

The response rate was 58 % and the responders comprised 25 men and 13 women, with a median age of 49 years (range 16-82 years). The success rate for fissure healing following surgery was 92 %, being significantly more likely in patients with textbook symptoms (p = 0.016) and those with chronic disease (p = 0.006). The overall complication rate was 13.2 %. Long-term objective and symptomatic incontinence were reported by two (5.6 %) patients, one of whom required a colostomy.

Success rates after lateral anal sphincterotomy were satisfactory, but careful patient selection based on symptoms and disease chronicity may improve results further. Patients with predisposing risk factors for the development of incontinence, particularly multiparous women, are arguably better treated with non-surgical options.