A surgical procedure that involves cutting the muscle that closes a body opening or that constricts the opening between body passages.
n. 1. surgical division, usually partial, of any sphincter muscle. See also anal fissure. 2. surgical incision of part of the iris in the eye at the border of the pupil.
a break or rent of the mucosa of the anal canal, which commonly presents with anal pain during and immediately following defecation and the passage of bright red blood in the stools. Anal fissures may occur secondary to constipation and having to forcefully strain during the process of defecation or as a consequence of prolonged episodes of diarrhoea. Over time an anal fissure may fail to heal, leading to the development of a chronic fissure that is prone to perianal infection. Medical treatment includes stool softeners and topical smooth muscle relaxants (such as 2% diltiazem cream). Surgery for anal fissures refractory to medical treatment includes lateral sphincterotomy (cutting the muscle of the anal sphincter).... anal fissure
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