Anal skin tag surgery. Frightened. Any experience?

[Minime85]

I'm due to have a large skin tag removed in October. It has been making me miserable for about a year. When it's swollen it feels like I'm sitting on a golf ball! It's large enough to pull the inside out sorry TMI. It's more worse than it isn't if that makes sense. But the surgeon told me how bad the recovery is and I'm really worried about it being so painful afterwards and maybe creating other problems. I already suffer with IBS so last thing I need is to make things worse. Has anyone had this op done? Thank you

Sorry to keep posting but just took a photo of ahole to take a closer look as its so sore. It looks like they made a hole behind my a-hole and I now have a massive protruding haemaroid hanging out my a-hole that has a band right on the tip of it and I think this is what is causing the most pain. Before surgery it was just a skin tag which may have had abit of fibrous tissue I thought they would just cut it off. Why is this haemoroid now completely hanging out of my ass post surgery? Why did they do a hole behind and make it look so bad if they weren't surgically removing it? Does anyone know? As nhs didn't explain any of this.

hi @Constipated38

so sorry things are so difficult for you.
On your hospital hand over discharge note- have they put a phone number on there? might be worth calling them and seeing if they could either advise over phone what to do or see if they could see you?
my hospital said there was a dept thats not medical decisions & not a &e and they can usually see you in 30 mins- so its not like an 8 hr wait. this may be different at your local hospital- i hope there is someone you could see or speak to?
another thing i did was take pics daily so i could see if wounds were getting better/ worse. I’m hoping that the bits that you are not happy with is swelling and eventually it will go smaller.
Sending you my best wishes x

Hi Sensisoul, thankyou i have started to take photos, just wish I'd taken a before photo, so I can show them what a mess they've made. I've been directed to call 111 to try and get some better pain medication prescribed and some more stool softener and something to relax the scphinter as cant seem to push anything out. The hole they made behind a-hole looks less gapey now than last night but the haemaroid that is hanging out looks horrific and I seem to have 3 skin tags on the other side I hadn't noticed before but they were meant to be removing any skintags. Whats really disappointing is I know this isn't going to be the last surgery. This is my second surgery and just want them surgically removed so this can be over and done with. This ginormous haemaroid I now have hanging is not going to fall off with the pathetic bit of string that is about 0.25cm from the tip of it. I've also lost 2 internal bands that just dropped out within 12 hours so they clearly weren't tight on anything. What a waste of time and recovery as I can't exercise or do anything id normally enjoy and going to have to go back to get this sorted out once its healed. Hope you are doing ok?

aww constipated38 so sorry to hear it is complicated. i am glad 111 have helped.
sending get well hugs.

i’m ok- just feeling quite mentally down as lots of stress right now.
thanks & best wishes x

Hi Sensisoul, sorry to hear of your stress, I hope things ease up for you soon. Anything you need help with? I'm off to see a 111 GP to check it but will keep checking back on here. Xx

thanks @Constipated38 i have been having night terrors due to the stress recently.
Things should be getting easier soon.
hope you have a nice weekend and thanks for your kind thought x

Just thought I'd update incase anyone is interested. Saw a GP last night and have been prescribed antibiotics incase of infection. It still looks like the inside of a hole is hanging out with a thing that looks like a worm or a finger coming out of a-hole neither of which was there before the surgery. My partner took a photo as he has a better camera on his phone and I can see some white stitches amongst the flesh hanging out that looks like chicken fillet. But it is not clear what they were attempting to do with those stitches. It looks like they went digging, created a mess and then ran out of time. Going to leave it afew more days now as going to have to work this week, then hopefully if the soreness dies down will go back to gp. Next time I will find out the qualification and experience of the surgeon and insist on a different surgeon as they've absolutely butchered my bum as is it was a pig.

Hello.
I know this old just hoping someone with experience pops along
I've had removal 6 days ago of a couple of large tags and now it looks worse than ever.
Actually horrific and baboon like. I'm telling myself it's the swelling but I'm not sure? There are stitches but i thought it would be smoother.
There is nothing online that I can find 😞

I'm reading on here a few of you have had similar experiences but not updated with whether it heals nicely or not. If you're still around please let me know.

Hi @medfail it appears I still get notifications for this thread! I did not experience any bumps but a number of people on this thread noted they had. I think it is quite common for it to not be smooth yet. They should heal up well!

Hi @medfail,
I was nervous about undergoing the procedure, but I actually found the recovery to be not as bad as I anticipated and I’m super glad I got it done. I can’t remember exactly what I was like by day 6, but I do remember my doctor telling me not to look with a mirror or anything, as she often had patients come back to her after a week or two thinking something was wrong. She said that it’s normal to look pretty horrific with the stitches and everything.

I do remember a few bumps (later down the track I think) that I was worried would turn into tags, and they really didn’t.

I wouldn’t be too concerned about what it looks like at all at the moment. Think about how you think the healing is going and focus on that. If you think it’s feeling worse and might be infected, head back to the doctor.

All the best with the recovery. I was overall very, very happy I got it done!

Hi! I had my removal just over a year ago now. I promise you it’s so worth it!! My recovery was quite okay maybe a few months and no intense pain just mild tenderness. I have had a bump and discolouration (like new fleshy brighter skin compared to the rest of the skin around my butt hole lol) but I do think it’s slowly but surely fading.

Hey all, I got email notifications and I thought I'd share my thoughts.

I had a skin tag, a fistula, 1 prolapsed hemorrhoid, polyps, all happening at once. Oh not to forget anal fissures. Anyway, I had my surgery July 2019 and I can honestly say it was one of the best things I've ever done in my life. Don't get me wrong, it was a struggle for a few months of healing, but it was well worth it.

So basically, I had my polyps scraped off, my fistula was superficial so it was left as an open wound, my skin tag was cut off to heal as an open wound like my fistula, and the massive prolapsed hemorrhoid was banded. The first few weeks were a little sore and itchy, but sleeping on my sides and using ring cushions when sitting helped.

Now, I rarely get any issues. Occasionally, the skin tag area cut open can get a big agrevated and I get the occasional fissures, but in comparison having these issues felt like my life began again. I was in such pain and discomfort before.

So I would advise to anyone to go for this quick operation if you get a chance. It won't be a walk in the park straight after but if you're going through issues like I did, it's so worth it.

Really appreciate everyone coming back to share their experiences! I've posted once or twice here about my anxiety about the surgery and I'd almost resolved not to have it, but reading the above is really encouraging. I had surgery for an ingrown toenail recently (the fun never stops), and whilst recovery for that is certainly a hundred times easier than this, I think it's given me a crash course in managing an open wound at least, so I'm thinking to speak to my doctor again soon.

Hi all,

I had one anal skin tag because of hemarroid and it was quite a big one. Had it removed 2 days ago. The wound is left open to heal. I had some bleeding after the surgery and now it is more like a bloody discharge but I see fresh blood during Bowel Movement. The pain after BM was really bad since 2 days but today I did not take any pain killer.
My concern is that how long will it take for the bleeding and weeping to stop since it is an open wound?

Hi @Sumeety, I can’t answer your question as I have stitches but just wanted to check how you are.
I am two weeks post op, I think I had 3 ast’s removed and one h. banded. I am still in a lot of pain during and after bm. Some days are better some worse.
I feel like when I go for a 20-30 mins walk, the next day I suffer.

One thing that helped my healing that was not mentioned here is airing the wound. Also period definitely makes pain worse.

All the best.

Hello there, @Busybee222. Thank you for responding to my query. I know how it feels. I am on my period and I can't stop crying. The pain is the worst before and after the BMs. Do you take pain relievers? I try not to take it, but when I do, one tablet is enough for the day. I have a lot of soreness down there as well, though I don't see any drainage or blood, but the wound appears to be very raw. I suppose open wounds take longer to heal!
I can only hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that all of the suffering will be worthwhile.

Best wishes to you as well.

I stopped painkillers after a week as I did not want to carry on with them. Now I take them very occasionally when pain is unbearable.
The bleeding stopped in week 1 but now it’s back. I must have hurt something on the inside. I’m seeing a GP on Monday to check it out and get another sick note hopefully. I am not able to work as pain continues for about 4 hrs after BM and I sometimes have 3 a day! 🙈 since the bleeding restarted I cry and can’t walk after being to toilet. Cold shower helps though.
I never expected this outcome, the surgeon has not warned me just said he can do it! But I don’t regret having it done, just wish I was better prepared.
Also does anyone know how long not to
lift heavy weights? My LG weights about 11 kg /23 lb. DH was doing all the lifting and nappy changes in the first 2 weeks but now I am starting to lift her occasionally. Nurse at hospital said not to lift only to start with, but I read some advice that no more than 5 lb should be lifted for weeks!

Just to update I had no visible healing progress until the same day as using lavender oil in a bidet bath thing.
I was soaking in salt for 5 - 15 mins after BM and to clean and I swapped to lavender after reading a similar thread online. The same day my wounds showed healing progress and healed dramatically fast from then. It could be a coincidence but I wanted to share. It was also soothing.
My anal area has definitely shrank and mostly looks inside apart from two flaps at the top still. All the stitches have now gone and this skin isn't as dark as the rest so I hope they will go in also.

I went back to work this week and have started wearing pants. I am five weeks post op today.
It's a really hard surgery to have I spent a good 4 weeks bottomless airing and resting and it has been hard but I've started feeling better finally.
Hope everyone else recovers well also.

My surgeon advised me to continue taking fiber to prevent hard stools. Otherwise, he said I shouldn't be in too much pain, but if I notice a lot of pain and swelling, I should call them, so I'll wait another 4 to 5 days to see how things go, as I'm on Day 9 today. Also, did anyone experience itching around the healing area? If you have it, how did you manage it?
I believe you should consult your doctor about lifting weights. I'm wondering if adding zinc ointment to the wound might help it heal faster 🤔

Thanks for the lavender tip @medfail I will try that.
@Sumeety are you taking fiber supplements or just foods? I eat Ray bread, bran flakes and lentils but I am not sure it’s enough as not always soft despite taking laxative along it.
Also I wonder why I go to toilet so much now. Whether it’s due to fiber intake or the fact that perhaps I am not able to empty my bowel fully due to pain. Does anyone have that too?
Yes I experienced some itching too. Fairly mild so I didnt bother me too much. Scar tissue itches but I’m not sure I’m at that stage yet.
Unexpected bonus is that I lost 2.5 kg…

@medfail Thank you for the advice. I'm also going to experiment with lavender oil.

@Busybee222 Along with my regular diet, I also take Metamucil supplements. I eat oats, lentils, bran bread, and fruit juices, but I still need supplements and only go to the toilet once a day in the morning; I also take magnesium citrate at night to keep the stool soft. My stool is also inconsistently soft, so I'm still trying to balance things, which I doubt I'll ever be able to do lol. Straining should be avoided at all costs because it causes a lot of spasms and as a result pain at least in my case :(
I'm hoping things improve for us soon

I also had Botox injected which wasn't explained fully but Google says it's to allow healing
However I have had a few accidents if I have to go I have to go and it was loose with my medication. Also no chance of holding in wind 😅
I think it's getting better now though but I too struggling with keeping a soft stool. I'll try the magnesium. I have took laxatives but one day I had it all day then and with the Botox there's not much warning !!! X

@medfail Is yours an open or closed wound? When did you have the surgery? I got Botox 3 months ago because of a fissure that was not healing and chose to get Botox, which was a great decision because I recovered in a few days and only then did I decide to get rid of the Tag too so If the wound does not heal on its own, I will have another Botox.

Great advice @Sumeety

I looked at magnesium, there is no mention of loosening, so I’m guessing that’s a side effect? I used to take it for heart issue and it did cause me frequent toilet visits.
I also used to eat plenty of fruit and dry fruit including prunes and drink hot water with flaxseed. I recently relaxed my diet because I was trying to reduce number of toilet visits but I do strain now which causes me after pain so I need to go back to it.
All the best ladies!