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The Effect of Ostrich Oil on Pain, Healing, and Recurrence of Chronic Anal Fissure: A Randomized Controlled
Masoumeh Taghizadeh1, Zahra Kourki Nejad Gharaee2, Gholamreza Bazmandegan3
1Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Ali-Ibn Abi-Talib Educational and Treatment Hospital Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences Rafsanjan Iran.
Background And Aims:
An anal fissure is a tear in the anal canal below the dentate line, affecting one in five people at some point in their lives. Researchers continuously seek new medications for treating this condition. Ostrich oil has shown anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects on wounds, as well as angiogenic and re-epithelialization properties. This study aims to evaluate the effect of ostrich oil on pain reduction and healing in patients with chronic anal fissure (CAF), with implications for improving home-based palliative care strategies.
Method:
In this clinical trial, 150 patients with CAF were randomly divided into intervention and glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) therapy groups. The intervention group received a combination of GTN 0.2% and ostrich oil 50%, while the GTN therapy group received 0.2% GTN ointment until recovery. Patients were evaluated for visual analog scale (VAS), bleeding, healing, and recurrence with a checklist.
Results:
Results showed that ostrich oil significantly reduced pain scores compared to GTN over time (group × time interaction: F (3,444) = 11.35, p < 0.001), with lower pain at all post-intervention assessments (all p < 0.001). Although ulcer grade and bleeding severity were similar immediately post-treatment, the ostrich oil group demonstrated superior long-term outcomes at 2- and 4-month follow-ups, including fewer Grade 3 ulcers, less bleeding, and lower recurrence rates (all p < 0.05). Ostrich oil thus provided more effective and sustained relief than GTN for pain management and ulcer healing.
Conclusion:
The results of this study suggest that ostrich oil may reduce pain, accelerate healing, shorten the treatment duration, and prevent recurrence of CAF. Given its ease of application and favorable safety profile, ostrich oil could be considered a valuable component of home-based palliative care strategies for managing CAF. Trial Registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT): IRCT20190128042525N4.