My experience with anal skin tag surgery

I would recommend internal hemorrhoid banding to get rid of any future external hemorrhoids then you won't have any cosmetic concerns for future of it messing up. I had that. It was sooooooo well worth it. I had 4 thrombosed hemorrhoid surgeries and 2 more anal surgeries and after 6 surgeries total I feel and look much better. I had big skin tags back there but since the internal hemorrhoids were banded and fell off my external skin tags are soooooo much smaller that not even going to get the skin tag removal surgery and I'm an all nude stripper so trust me, my ass is viewed a ton!!! But hey, it looks good.

Hi there.. today is Wed. I had two anal tags removed and three hemorrhoids banded on Fri.
Honestly I was told it's an uncomfortable procedure. However I am finding it extremely painful..and would rather have given birth again... ( 3 kids naturally), so I wonder if some of us have more nerve endings down there than others. Or has my surgeon done a rubbish job? As I too still have sores and a new tag formed as large as one removed.. due to the pressure in my bowel.. ( as I didn't void until today). Or the bladder retain ti on I suffered and had to intermittent self catheterisation after the anesthetic left me with no bladder feeling for 3 days
Good luck to anyone going through this procedure. . I maybe just unlucky.. but I would not ever have this again. No matter how many bands or tags returns in future

I had four large anal skin tags removed just over three weeks ago and can safely say it has been one of the most painful things I have ever had done...and that includes giving birth naturally!!
I have been experiencing a really uncomfortable deep pain/ crossed with what feels like itchiness? I wondered whether anyone else has experienced this and if it's part of the normal healing process. It's a bit like someone stabbing me with a needle.

I have just had my skin tag removed 6 days ago. But for me, it is quite painful. I had 2 places removed. However, as u said the one nearer to the anal cavity is forming another skin tag again which concerns me too much. my partner was kind enough to apply tge dressing on for me and he didn't see the new tag on the first day but it comes out after my first bowel movement. I have just had it removed and the painis still there but another one come out again. The sharp pain from the open wound is too much so I went to my GP and she told me I should go A&E straight.

Hi, how are u doing today? I'm having the same EXACT proedure done as u in a few hours & it's terryifing! My daughters birthday party is next Sunday which makes things worse :( I'm glad to hear u did better after a week. I'm hopeful

I'm getting a skin tag removed on Wednesday and I have been a nervous wreck. It used to be a pretty big hemorrhoid then turned into this. I never had any problems when it was a hemorrhoid, but now that it's a skin tag it itches all the time! It drives me nuts and has really interfered with my life which is why I decided to go ahead and get the procedure. And I must say after reading all of these horrible stories yours made me feel better about it and I'm not so nervous anymore. So thank you :) this is also the first surgery I've ever had to get.

I go this Wednesday to get my surgery and my situation is similar to yours because my daughter and husbands birthday is October 28th, and mine is the 29th. I hope I am feeling at least well enough to walk around and decorate!

I am 7 days into recovery and will tell you honestly do not do it ! I have a very high tolerance for pain but this is unbearable. BM are horribly painful followed by spasms afterward. Even with a fiberous diet and soft stool it hurts like hell. Do not put yourself through this.

Can anyone tell me if they healed after removal? How long it took for the swelling to go down?

So here is my rundown of what occurred with my skin tag removal procedure.

At the outset, I really wanted the procedure because it is very embarrassing to have a skin tag in your anal area. I waited quite a bit to have the procedure because most doctors say it's just a cosmetic issue and the process is quite painful. The internet research and stories also caused anxiety about the procedure. Notwithstanding the above, I chose to proceed with the procedure. It's been seven days (some of them very long) since the procedure. I am very happy that I went through with it. I'm not at 100% yet, but I can see a HUGE difference. (Today was the very first time I looked back there. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT peek until after all of the swelling has gone down and your bottom no longer hurts continuously.)

Prior to the procedure, I started eating very lightly the day before. I also made sure to have a bowel movement prior to the operation. I think I even went twice (the night before and the morning of). I also took the time to move several of my most needed items to counter height so that I would not have to bend when I returned home from the procedure. I placed books, music, and other entertainment next to my bed so that I would not have to reach far for them during my recovery. I also purchased my intended meals for the first 3 days and placed them at the ready.

After surgery I immediately went on a liquid diet only (juicing fruits and vegetables, broth, tomato basil soup, orange juice, and water of course). I continued the liquid diet for 1 1/2 days. I then switched to heartier soups and took my first stool softener. I had my first BM 46 hours (almost 2 days) after the surgery.

The key to BMs for me was not to push. (For the first few days, your bum will be extremely sore and will feel like you need to defecate at all times. However, when it really is time for you to go your body will give you a different urge. If your stool is soft (meaning you have been drinking water, taking a stool softener, and taking fiber, you should just try to relax your muscles) I had previously read there are different ways to handle your business in the restroom. For example, you could sit on the toilet, you could squat over a bedpan, or lay flat in a sitz bath in the bathtub. I found it easiest to stand up (straddle the toilet while standing straight up). Yes, at times I was completely disgusted because water would plop out of the toilet. However this method made me the least uncomfortable. Wiping with tissue afterwards was too rough so I used the baby wipes to gingerly clean up the area. However, because of sensitivity it is hard to ensure that you have properly cleaned the area. Thus, I take a shower immediately afterwards. I also took separate sitz baths (sometimes adding Epsom salt) just to soothe the area.

During the procedure they shot lidocaine in my bum hole. Did the shots hurt? Yes! Will you live through it? Yes. [Did I pray earnestly during the procedure (and even for the first 4 days afterwards)? YES!!!!! I repeatedly prayed for the strenghth and grace to endure.] Once the area was numb, the process went fairly quickly. I believe I was there for maybe 30 minutes. The doctor closed with absorbable stitches. After I left the doctor, I headed straight to the pharmacy. Since the lidocaine was in my system for a few hours, I had time to fill the pain prescription. In addition to getting medicine, I also bought regular Tylenol, adult diapers, adult baby wipes, stool softener, and fiber. (The adult diapers may have been overkill, but it was great to not worry about any bleeding on my clothing after BM.)

Things I would do differently: I went to work after the procedure too quickly. I recommend taking AT LEAST 4 days where you are doing nothing but laying around the house. I didn't feel noticeably better until Day 6. Even if you feel ok, trust me your body needs the rest. Also, stay on top of your pain medicine. During those first two to three days, I needed constant pain meds. However, as the jarring pain began to decrease, i was able to alternate between the doctor prescribe medicine and regular Tylenol. After a while, I switched to taking pain medicine just before a BM.

Hope the above helps!!!!

What kind of doctor did you see?

Always makes sense to use a board certified colon/rectal surgeon, you can research their qualifications and experience on line.

Colon rectal surgeon. I went back for my follow-up, and things are progressing as they should. I was cautioned to avoid constipation and passing hard stools. For the most part recovery has been decent, but sometimes I have dealt with itchiness as the skin heals. Doctor says that the wound won't be completed healed until 8-10 weeks post surgery. Either way, I am happy I pushed past my fear and did the procedure.

Can anyone recommended a good doctor for this procedure in west palm beach or west palm beach please?

Hi Sweela,

I'm considering skin tag removal. Thank you so much for your post here, as it helped me find dr. Kelly Garrett. I have an appointment with her in 2 weeks.

I was wondering now that a year or so has passed how you're feeling? If the area is totally healed and you're still happy with the results? Did you have any complications? I've heard of incontinence as a possible risk.. Also, how much does it cost? I plan on paying out of pocket.

Thank you so much for your kind reply!