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

Hey koolblue , how strange . At least we have each other . Feel less alone now x

For sure Gem38 X

hello everyone. I spent a while going through this thread. I believe I’ve had this AST for about 3 years now. I worry that I waited so long to really do something about it. After I poop it hurts and it swells up. Once it goes down it’s just a small flap, but I really would like my normal anus back! seeing this thread discouraged and encouraged me—I’m torn! any encouragement would be appreciated because I really want to get the surgery to get it removed. I also don’t want to make my anus worse. good luck to you all with healing and whatnot!

@Imann10 hello . Not waited too long, I had my problem for years and just believed it was piles until I couldn't take the pain anymore . Got to the point I could hardly sit and stand ! People seemed to have mixed experience after surgery . I feit my took a few months to start to heal properly . Had mine done last July and still bleed at times but not painful . To think of how much pain I was in this time last year I am so glad I had it done . I couldn't return back to work after the 2 weeks as it was just too painful but luckily I work in a school so I had 3 weeks plus the summer holidays . It is really worth getting it done and understand the pain you are in .
Hope this has helped x.

I’m on day 6 of having my skin tags removed and my Hemorrhoid banded. The first day I was abit sore but thought ok this is not so bad...well that all changed after I had my first bm 😓 the first one was the worst and since then the actually going is ok it’s the aftermath! It’s so painful for hours afterwards, today I did get abit teary and fed up but after reading this thread it’s given me hope. I haven’t slept properly in days so I’ve asked the gp if possible to prescribe me some sleeping tablets 🤞🏻 Im desperate for a good nights rest!🤪 I always seem to need to go do a number too around 2am??? So strange, I didn’t take any of my laxatives yesterday hoping it would slow down the amount of times I need to go, but it hasn’t so I’ll stick to one sachet a day as all I’m stomaching at the moment is fruits and veg juices. The odd tiny roll here and there for something savoury. Has anyone noticed their number twos are very dark? I’m taking liquid morphine mornings and night time and I’m on antibiotics? If anyone does take it I recommend eating something as it can make you feel very sicky and dizzy. I’ve just ordered a small bath thingy and some Epsom salts so hopefully that will help as I don’t have a bath. Also ibuprofen is great for taking the throbbing away but sways make sure you have eaten something as it’s dangerous to take it on an empty stomach. For people that are considering having the op I would do it again despite the pain as I was really fed up! The surgeon did offer to do a halo procedure which I declined as I’ve heard allot of people have had pain and a constant need for the loo! 😳 so we went with the banding and surgical removal of my skin tags. No stitches as apparently your more prone to infection. So although it’s not easy I would go through it again, to have a normal bum again would be wonderful ❤️

Hi @Koolblue & @Gem38
I had my surgery in February this year and I was wondering how long it took for your swelling to go down? I didn’t have any pain or bleeding prior to the skin tag removal, it was mainly aesthetic and to assist with wiping. Since the surgery it’s way worse down there in terms of the size of the lumps, I’m terrified to go back and have them tell me I need something else done 😥
I’m really worried because everyone else seems to say it’s all normal for them other than bleeding sometimes? I’ve been thinking about going to get a second opinion...

@Zing02

Hi there, it could take a few weeks for the swelling to go down. It took me a couple of weeks of pain before it started to ease down. At the moment I still get the occasional bleeding from where the skin tag was removed, but overall I am still 100 times more happier than pre surgery. The pain I used to get from my skin tag, fistula, and hemorrhoid, was unreal.

@Zing02

However it might be worth just getting a second opinion just to put your mind at rest. I might get a second opinion on my bleeding, but it's not overly concerning for me. In the meantime try creams like Anusol as well to help too, it really helps me control the bleeding.

@koolblue
Thanks for your prompt reply. Now I’m definitely concerned because it’s been 6 months since I had the surgery and this “swelling” is far worse than the skin tags I had removed in the first place! 😭

@Zing02 Please Don't worry too much. At least you know it's swelling from surgery, not anything else. Get a second opinion with a positive mindset, you know you're ok but you have something causing you inconvenience there, so all they'll do is help you.

Hello All,
I found this thread recently and I provided me both great insight and anxiety into my upcoming procedure for anal skin tag removal. I went ahead and scheduled and just had my procedure one day ago. I wanted to share with you all a VERY POSITIVE experience thus far.

I am in my early 30s, live in the US. This issue originated when I began bodybuilding and straining while using the restroom due to eating inflammatory foods that I didn't realize were causing constipation. I suffered from some small hemorrhoids and subsequently skin tags. Over time, I would routinely suffer from a fissure and the skin tags would occasionally become inflamed, enlarge, itch, etc. I had one doctor tell me "well that's just the way your body is, nothing you can do about it." (wow, gee thanks so much). Another doctor INSISTED upon having me under a flex sigmoidoscopy which was the most humiliating experience. I cried throughout the entire procedure. Only for him to then tell me, nothing wrong, you're perfectly healthy, you just have skin tags. (Yea no kidding doc!!!!). Fast forward 6 years...I have been dealing with two skin tags- one the size of a kidney bean, the other slightly smaller being the size of a green pea. Their existence became rather prohibitive, making it uncomfortable to wear certain undergarments, and difficult to maintain personal hygiene. I was extremely self-conscious of them and became rather depressed about engaging intimately with anyone if I chose to date.

I decided to try to take matters into my own hands...which I DO not recommend. I tried to band them myself with a skin tag removal kit. LEMME TELL YA, the most excruciating self-induced pain I have ever felt. So when that didn't go well, because let's face it, bathroom surgeries have a very low success rate, I finally scheduled an appointment with a doctor near me. The doctor was so kind, sympathetic. I went in last Tuesday and was scheduled for surgery the following Monday! Over the span of that week I prepared myself by increasing my fiber intake from about 12 grams per day to over 25 grams. I recommend putting one to two tablespoons of whole flaxseeds into a small ramekin, pour 2-3 TBSP of water over and let soak overnight. Then blend into your smoothie in the AM. This makes the flaxseeds more easily digestible and the fiber ready accessible. Also mix in 1 tbsp of coconut oil. I added foods like pears, raspberries, quinoa, oatmeal, barley. I avoided foods like cruciferous vegetables as they can cause excess gas.

My out of pocket expense was $200- I had met my deductible for the year and had a 90/10 coinsurance. Otherwise, the full cost of the surgery would have been around $2,000 (that's was insurance reimbursed for it).

So I wanted to share a POSITIVE experience. My doctor explained that she would make a small v shaped incision to remove the tissue and the wound would remain open and heal from the inside over the span of 2-3 weeks. Upon waking up from surgery, I woke up calmly, without distress as some experience after anesthesia. I recovered and had no pain (probably due to the numbing). I went home, had one BM, and cleaned the area gently with unscented wet wipes. There was some blood, but not a lot. I had two servings of fiber supplement throughout the day. I started to feel some discomfort roughly 5 hours after surgery, more so an "awareness" of the area and soreness. I did take one tylenol and half a painkiller before bed. The following day (this morning), I had a 1/3 of a cup of coffee and took 1/2 a pain killer in anticipation of a BM. Due to all the fiber I had yesterday, it was painless. I took a little warm bath, used wet wipes and was perfectly fine!!!!! I cannot believe that I have not had more pain. I think that on a pain scale, this would be 1 or 2 out of 10. I hope that I can report the same in a few days. I hope this record of my experience is helpful to others.

Hi,

I had my anal skin tags removed 3 days ago. The procedure took just around 20 minutes, was not painful at all.

First days after the surgery were good, there was little bleeding on the first day and mild pain. However, now it's day 3 and after bowel movement there was A LOT blood. I guess the scar tore open. And also I found hard lump around size of pea. As so many others in this chat.

Please help me. How long did you have this lump? Did it go away on its own? Did you contact your doctor because of it?

Is someone who's reading this has fully recovered already, PLEASE can you tell me how it is? Does your anal area finally look normal?

I am crying all the time and panicking so much, the lump looks scary and makes me nervous. Please help me.

@banana1111111 I should have provided another update a few days after I wrote my first one. However, I got distracted.

I did have some significant pain about 2-3 days after the initial surgery. I also experienced a significant amount of blood when using the restroom. I think after reading every single post on this thread, bleeding is normal. Are you taking stool softeners? My doctor prescribed 2-3 per day. It’s crucial that you increase your fiber intake and drink a ton of water.

Are you on pain meds like oxy? I would also suggest taking your pain meds about 30 min to an hour before you know you’re going to have to go to the bathroom.

I don’t know about the lump though, that could just be inflamed tissue in the nearby area that is swollen?

I hope this all helps. You are not alone. Write back if you have more questions, we’re all here for you.

@banana1111111

I forgot to mention- yes after it is all healed it will literally look photo worthy it will be so so perfect. So take a deep breath. Know that you’re going to have to get through the pain but it will be worth it.

@LadyBelle2020
Thank you for your answer. I was panicking a lot last night but I'm feeling better now.

I realised "the lump" I have is actually (probably) inflamed skin tag. So I guess the doctor left one of the tags there. Why can't they just remove all of them? But I couldn't be happier, even my bum doesn't look perfect yet since there's still one tag left, but it looks so much better than it has looked for ages, I could cry out of happiness.

--

By the way, if there's anyone reading this who knows about what are the risks of anal skin tag removal, could you please tell me? My doctor didn't mention anything about the risks and I didn't ask. Only when I left after successful procedure, he looked a bit worried and he said "Well let just pray everything will go well for now on." That just made me worried how serious the risks, which are unknown to me, might be.

@banana1111111 my doctor didn’t mention any serious risks. I think the risk of infection is higher if you get stitches but my doctor left it open. I think if you just stay positive and follow all the instructions you won’t have any terrible reactions! Makes sense to have a remaining inflamed skin tag. But I agree, it’s like just get rid of all of them bc you probably won’t want to go back again! But since that area gets so inflamed, likely the old tag filled with blood.

This message is for anyone who is considering anal skin tag removal!

My experience:

It was done under local anesthesia in private clinic. In my country (northern europe) they don't do this in public health care, because it is considered cosmetic surgery.

The needles caused mild pain, but it was not bad at all, nothing to be afraid of. After that I didn't feel anything on my bum area, and the doctor cut the skin tags off. No stitches. The whole thing took around 20 minutes and I was ready to go home. Cost: 220 euros, 2 skin tags removed (he didn't remove the third one, I'm not sure why).

After one hour I started to feel little bit pain and I took painkiller just in case. Right after that I took a nap and before falling asleep I was a bit scared that I will be in lot of pain when I wake up. But when I woke up I didn't feel anything! No pain at all. So I didn't take painkillers anymore.

There was quite heavy bleeding only during the first hours, after that the bleeding stopped. I started to shower the bum area 3 times a day and tried to be without underwear/pants as much as possible to let the wounds "breathe".

Everything was going well until first bowel movement. It hurted little bit, but not too much. But after BM there was A LOT blood. That made me freak out, I thought I have to rush to emergency room. I started showering the bum area right after BM, and luckily the bleeding stopped right away.

It's the day 4 now and atleast for now everything is going well. I'm bit scared of bowel movements so I haven't been eating that much, mainly fruits and veggies.

I hope I'm not saying this too early, I'm praying that everything will continue going well, but for now I want say that everyone who is struggling with their anal skin tags: there is hope, this procedure is nothing to be afraid of, atleast according to my experience.

But before doing it, maybe you should ask your doctor what are the risks - because I didn't ask, and now I just hope nothing bad will happen.

I feel so relieved. For more than 2 years I had 3 big skin tags covering my bum, they looked just awful and I couldn't accept them. I cried many times because of them, I didn't want to have new sex partners. It was mentally exhausting to have them. Now when I look at my bum, it looks amazing compared to what it used to look. It's still healing, so there are few bruises but it looks almost normal already - just 4 days after the procedure. I still have one tag remaining which I hope I can get rid of later.

@LadyBelle2020

It's good to hear your doctor didn't mention any serious risks! Hearing that made me so relieved. I guess it can't be super risky procedure since my doctor also didn't say a word about any kind of risks.

Hey guys, for how long after the surgery did you have bleeding during bowel movements? It's my day 5 and again after BM there was lot of blood.. I hope it will stop at some point.

Also, if there's anyone who's into anal sex, for how long did you wait until having it after the surgery? I saw someone on Reddit saying their doctor told them that this surgery might leave scars forever and anal sex wouldn't be possible ever again.. I'm panicking again now and I can't talk about this to anyone :(

@banana1111111 I think for me it was a solid 14-20 days of bleeding. It really takes a long time to heal because it has to heal from the inside out. It’s like having a wound that just keeps getting opened over and over again. Also- by day 7-10 ish you’re going to start to get discomfort because it will be soooooo itchy. Buy calmoseptine from amazon or wherever. It’s amazing- like cooling diaper cream.

I’ve wondered the same thing about anal play. I think after it’s completely healed, you’ll be able to have fun again. My doctor explained that the skin of this area stretches but doesn’t return to its normal shape like much of the skin on the rest of our body. So that’s why an anal skin tag occurs- skin stretches and won’t flatten out. But I don’t anticipate there being prohibitive scar tissue. I’ve read in previous posts that some people had recurring bleeding months later because the skin seemed to be weaker there. I think knowing that this is a problem, it takes a lifestyle and diet change to manage bowel movements accordingly to prevent constipation.

@LadyBelle2020

Thank you for answering, it makes this a lot worse that I don't feel comfortable to talk about this to anyone in my life. It feels good to talk about this online.

Thanks for sharing your experience and recommendations. It's good to hear you saying that the bleeding stopped eventually. With everything else going on in life it's exhausting to live with this, even I'm glad I had the surgery done but this healing process is still stressing me out since I'm not even sure what to expect. I just hope everything will go back to normal for 100% at some point.

I saw you mentioned earlier you're a bodybuilder. Did you make any changes on your training program after going through all this? I also used to love training at gym (mainly focusing on growing my booty haha) but now I'm scared even doing any booty training, because I read that squats and some other forms of training can cause hemorrhoids.. And the last thing I want is to develop hemorrhoids and then deal with all this all over again

@banana1111111 I can completely relate. It is such a foreign experience. I could only talk to my best friend because she works in the medical field and was very supportive. I have to admit, it was really depressing going into the hospital alone. I had a moment of near panic realizing I was all alone. But we’ve made it through the worst of it.

I used to do serious power lifting and body building years ago which is how I developed the hemorrhoids. Since then my approach has changed. Admittedly, I am scared of doing deadlifts and squats the way I used to- like 1.5x my body weight. Now I go to the gym, lift hard but not insane heavy. I had to learn how to properly breathe and not push down if that makes sense.

I still work glutes just lighter weight which is probably way more than the average person does anyway! I do squats, dumbbell sldl, split squats, hip thrusts all that.

Hi guys, I'm 18 and I'm not a mom. Because of constipation (that only happened once), I got one anal skin tag, that is not big actually. I didn't went to doctor yet, because I kinda feel embarrassed to show it to a man and in my city there is no women that are proctologist. I read your comments and it's good to find people with the same struggles. I only found out about my AST two months ago and since then, I think about it everytime... I don't feel normal and I don't think a doctor would allow me to do this procedure, because I've searched and there's a minimum size required. This is destroying my self steem that wasn't that good already. You guys that did the surgery, how it looks now? I'm brazilian and I am planning to save a lot of money to do the surgery in the clinics with the best results

Hi @girlgirl. I can relate to your struggle. It took me years to muster up the courage to finally have mine addressed. I am 6 weeks post op and I am SO SO glad I finally decided to do this. My back side looks completely normal, healed, and the way it looked and felt before. I would say I was 100% healed by week 4.

In the US this surgery would have cost $2,000 out of pocket. With my insurance, I only have to cover a very small portion. I hope that helps.

Thanks you, I'm trying to accept myself for now like this because if I do the surgery before I get pregnant, the chances of developing another anal skin tag are huge and I don't wanna go through the surgical procesure twice