Anal Stenosis

This is a condition where the anal opening is too narrow and leads to difficulty passing a normal stool. The most typical first symptoms, not surprisingly, are narrowing of the stool and difficulty or resistance moving the bowels. Over time, this can lead to chronic constipation, hemorrhoids, and painful anal fissures.

Anal stenosis has traditionally been treated by simply cutting through one side of the sphincter to relieve the tension. Called a sphincterotomy, it simply defeats the action of a sphincter muscle (which is to close), and has the side effect of fecal incontinence or leaking of fecal matter.

Dr. Cranford has an alternative option for patients with this condition that is non-surgical and very effective. The narrowed sphincter is manually dilated, under anesthesia, to open it back up to original size. It is then treated topically so the muscle gets used to staying open. Then any fissures, for example, can be removed and the area can heal from the inside out. Hemorrhoids can then be treated more easily and quickly. This treatment has excellent long-term results and is fairly painless to the patient.