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Fissurectomy with skin tag removal

Published 13 March 2026 ·Last reviewed 13 March 2026 by the editorial team ·How we create our content

A composite account, drawn from many real anonymised experiences. It is not any one person's story.

Fissurectomy with skin tag removal

What this experience covers

This experience looks at what people describe about having fissurectomy (removal of the fissure tissue) and skin tag removal done as a combined procedure. It is a composite drawn from many anonymised accounts.

The pattern

Why they are done together

Chronic anal fissures often produce sentinel piles — skin tags that form at the outer edge of the fissure. When a fissurectomy is planned, many surgeons offer to remove these tags at the same time:

  • It avoids a second procedure
  • The area is already under anaesthetic
  • Removing the skin tags can improve hygiene and comfort

The procedure

People describe the combined procedure as:

  • Typically performed as a day case under general or spinal anaesthetic
  • The fissure tissue is excised (removed)
  • The associated skin tags are removed
  • Botox may be injected into the sphincter at the same time
  • The wounds are usually left open to heal by secondary intention
  • The procedure takes 20 to 40 minutes

Recovery differences

Compared to fissurectomy alone, people describe the combined procedure as:

  • Slightly more discomfort — there are additional wound sites where the tags were removed
  • More external wounds to manage
  • The recovery timeline is similar overall
  • Skin tag removal sites heal relatively quickly

The first week

  • Pain is managed with prescribed and over-the-counter medication
  • Sitz baths are essential — multiple times daily
  • The first bowel movement is the most anxious moment
  • Bleeding and discharge are normal from all wound sites
  • Rest and gentle movement

Weeks 2 to 4

  • Steady improvement for most people
  • The skin tag sites often heal before the fissurectomy site
  • Activity gradually increases
  • Bowel movements become less of an ordeal

What people wish they had known

  • That having both done at once is common and practical
  • That the recovery is not dramatically harder than fissurectomy alone
  • That the skin tag removal sites heal relatively quickly
  • That the cosmetic result takes time — the area looks different during healing

Every recovery looks different. If you are wondering whether what you are experiencing is normal for your stage, our chat can help you think through your specific situation.

When to contact your doctor

Seek medical attention if you experience:

  • Heavy or persistent bleeding
  • Severe pain that is getting worse
  • Fever or signs of infection
  • Any symptoms that concern you
When to seek care Heavy bleeding or feeling faint: emergency. Fever or trouble passing urine: call today. Emergency: 911

Not sure how urgent it is? Get help today.

  1. Emergency

    Heavy bleeding, black tarry stools, feeling faint, severe pain or trouble breathing.

    Call 911 or go to the ER.

  2. Today

    Fever, pain getting worse, a hot swollen lump, or trouble passing urine.

    Call your doctor or go to urgent care.

  3. Soon

    Bleeding or bowel changes nobody has checked, or anything lasting 3 weeks.

    Book a doctor’s appointment.

Feeling overwhelmed? Call or text 988, any time.

See all the signs

For this topic, get medical advice if you notice:

  • Severe or worsening pain
  • Heavy bleeding
  • Fever
  • Black stools
  • Fainting or dizziness
  • Pus or unusual discharge
  • Inability to pass stool or gas
  • Unexplained weight loss

Recording how you feel is not the same as being checked. These are the signs that need a doctor’s attention.

Call 911 or go to the emergency room now if you have:

  • bleeding that will not stop, a lot of blood (the toilet water turns red, or you pass large clots), or any bleeding with feeling faint or dizzy
  • fainting, a racing heart or trouble breathing
  • confusion or slurred speech, extreme shivering, no urine in a day, or blotchy skin
  • sudden severe belly pain, or a swollen, hard belly with vomiting or not passing stool or gas
  • you cannot pass urine at all, or your bladder feels full and painful and you can’t empty it
  • redness, swelling or severe pain spreading quickly around your anus, genitals or groin, especially with a fever or feeling very ill
  • a fever with a painful swelling near your anus if you have diabetes or a weakened immune system (for example, from chemotherapy or transplant medicines)
  • black, tarry stools

Call your doctor or go to urgent care today (or the ER if you can’t be seen today) if you have:

  • a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, chills, vomiting, or feeling generally unwell
  • pain that is getting worse over days, or severe pain that stops you sitting or sleeping
  • a hot, swollen or very tender lump near your anus or at the top of the crease between your buttocks, or foul-smelling discharge
  • trouble urinating
  • bleeding that is getting heavier or more frequent, or blood mixed into your stool
  • feeling much more tired than usual, looking pale, or getting out of breath more easily than you used to
  • not passing stool for several days, or new belly pain

Make an appointment with your doctor if:

  • you have never had these symptoms checked by a doctor or nurse — whatever your age
  • you have had rectal bleeding for more than 3 weeks
  • your bowel movements have been looser, thinner or more frequent than usual for 3 weeks or more, or you have lost weight without trying
  • symptoms have not settled after a week or so, or keep coming back
  • you notice a new lump near your anus, between your buttocks or in your belly, or an itch or discharge that does not clear
  • you have new leakage or trouble controlling your bowels
  • you are 45 or over, or have a family history of bowel cancer or inflammatory bowel disease, and any of these symptoms are new for you

If you are unsure, it is always reasonable to ask. If things feel overwhelming, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or chat at 988lifeline.org, any time. If you don’t feel safe, call 911.

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Discreet symptom tracking

Had this surgery? Track your recovery, day by day.

The days blur together. Was the bleeding worse yesterday? When did the discharge change? A short, discreet email asks how things have been and saves each answer, so you can bring the dates to your follow-up visit or your doctor.

  • About ten seconds a check-in. No app, no password.
  • Nothing in the subject or preview says what it’s about.
  • Each Sunday, a link to your week, ready for your next appointment.
Start tracking →

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Related guides

Fissurectomy: what to know

What fissurectomy involves, how it differs from LIS, recovery patterns, and what people report about the combined procedure with botox.

Sentinel pile removal

When people consider having a sentinel pile or anal skin tag removed, what the procedure involves, recovery patterns, and when removal may not be necessary.

Fissurectomy vs LIS: how to decide

A clinical comparison of fissurectomy and lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) for chronic anal fissure

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Fissurectomy recovery

What the first days and weeks after fissurectomy feel like — the wound, the healing, and how people manage the recovery.

Sentinel pile discovery and removal

What people describe about finding a lump near a fissure — the confusion with haemorrhoids, the decision to remove or leave it.

LIS surgery recovery week by week

A week-by-week look at what people experience during recovery from lateral internal sphincterotomy — the physical changes, the milestones.

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