Abstract
A retrospective study of 300 patients with chronic anal fissure is presented. Lateral internal sphincterotomy offers shorter hospital stay, rapid wound healing, low recurrence rate, and no permanent defect in continence, and is therefore the procedure of choice in uncomplicated anal fissures. Fissurectomy-midline sphincterotomy should be reserved for patients in whom local fistulization has complicated anal fissure.