Anal Conditions

Anal conditions are a subspeciality that should be dealt with by only colorectal consultants who regularly offer the options below, as some traditional treatments are worse than the anal condition itself!  My approach avoids destructive painful operations for these benign conditions (such as piles and fissures), whilst preventing worsening of the premalignant conditions.  I am the region's Surgeon for neoplastic conditions of the anus, and offer the Anal Intraepithelial Neoplasia (AIN) surveillance for Dorset.

This common disease is due to a hair that has penetrated deep to the skin of the bottom.  The hair cannot escape so there are again eruptions of infections which may lie dormant when treated by antibiotics.  The aim of surgical treatment is to get rid of the hairs and infection whilst not deepening the entrance for more hairs to enter.

Please click here for further information on Pilonidal Surgery.

There are hundreds of causes (including alcohol, chocolate, tea and coffee) but it is often useful to consider what has changed prior to the onset of the itch. 

Read more: Itching (Pruritus ani)

A fistula around the bottom is a tunnel that runs from the skin to inside the bowel, which may harbour bacteria.  It may result from an abscess around the anus that has persisted, but in turn may cause persisting infection.  It may act like a dormant volcano, so treating it will stop further erruptions. 

I invented the first hollow thread used in this fistula tunnel that shows on MR scans.  Ultimately the thread may be removed and a plug may be used to block the inside opening.  Please click here for more information regarding fistula plug treatment.