[Treatment of primary chronic fissure-in-ano by anal dilatation versus sphincterotomy (author's transl)].

A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial in the treatment of primary chronic fissure-in-ano by digital stretching of the anal canal or by a modified lateral subcutaneous sphincterotomy is reported. Whereas there was no difference in the postoperative course of both groups, by checking 65 of 66 patients 6 months postoperatively, we found significantly more lacks of continence after stretching. There was no difference regarding recurrence rate. Pressure monitoring of the anal canal showed significantly higher values at rest in both groups before operation. No correlation between results of monitoring anal pressure and defects of anal continence has been seen. These results point out that in treatment of primary chronic fissure-in-ano the lateral subcutaneous sphincterotomy is superior to anal dilatation regarding postoperative defects of anal continence. The recurrence rate in the present study does not force to prefer one of these two methods. Manometric investigations show that the resting pressure in anal canal seems to be elevated in primary chronic fissure-in-ano.