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Clinical Trial
. 1983 Jan;70(1):25-6.
doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800700109.

The anal dilator in the conservative management of acute anal fissures

P McDonald, A M Driscoll, R J Nicholls
Clinical Trial

The anal dilator in the conservative management of acute anal fissures

P McDonald et al. Br J Surg. 1983 Jan.

Abstract

Patients presenting with acute anal fissure were randomized into two treatment groups in a prospective clinical trial. Both groups received treatment for 3 weeks with a stool softener and lignocaine jelly. Those entered in group 1 (35 patients) were asked in addition to insert an anal dilator (no. 2) twice daily while those in group 2 (31 patients) applied the anaesthetic jelly without a dilator. At 6 weeks 11 (31.4 per cent) patients in group 1 and 12 (38.7 per cent) patients in group 2 had been referred for sphincterotomy owing to failure of the treatment. At 6 months this figure had risen to 14 (40 per cent) in group 1 and 15 (48.4 per cent) in group 2. This difference was not statistically significant, suggesting that the addition of a dilator to the conservative treatment regimen did not diminish the likelihood of surgery.

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