A Comparative Efficacy and Safety Study of Lateral Subcutaneous Sphincterotomy and Botulinum Toxin Type A in the Treatment of Chronic Anal Fissure

Chronic anal fissure is a rupture of anal canal mucosa lasting for more than 2 months and resistant to non-surgical treatment. This condition is attended by severe pain syndrome during and after bowel movement (defecation). This condition is most frequent in younger and working-age adults; therefore, the treatment issue is of particular relevance.

The main cause of chronic anal fissure development is spasm of the internal sphincter. It should be eliminated in the first instance, in order to provide the effective therapy. All the main treatment methods, such as medicinal relaxation of the internal sphincter with 0.4% nitroglycerin ointment, lateral subcutaneous sphincterotomy, and pneumodivulsion of the anal sphincter are aimed at its removal. However, the optimal method has not yet been developed.

Non-surgical treatments are often attended by relapse of disease, while surgical treatment is often complicated by intestinal contents incontinence, usually gas and loose or hard stool in some occasions (grade 3 anal sphincter insufficiency).

In particular, lateral subcutaneous sphincterotomy performed in such patients is associated with an increase in the degree of anal incontinence in the early post-operative period.

Botulinum Toxin Type A application in complex treatment of patients with chronic anal fissure (after fissure excision) is intended to improve the therapy results, namely to reduce the frequency and duration of anal sphincter insufficiency after sphincter spasm removal (reduction in the number of patients suffering from post-operative incontinence).