Background: Anal fissure is common condition in general population which cause severe pain at the anal region while defecation and associated with bleeding. These symptoms cause reduction in quality of life with considerable morbidity. The objective of this study was to compare the difference in outcome between open lateral anal sphincterotomy and application of topical 0.2% nitroglycerin ointment for the treatment of chronic anal fissure and their individual efficacy.Methods: 68 cases with a clinical diagnosis of anal fissure were recruited in the study. All selected patients met with inclusion criteria. Thus, selected cases were assigned to one of the other groups by odd and even method. Group A was managed conservatively using topical 0.2% nitroglycerin ointment, whereas Group B underwent open lateral anal sphincterotomy. Both groups were followed up at 3 week, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks, after the treatment.Results: Among all the 68 patients, all patients had come with complaint of pain whereas 31 patients had bleeding per rectum along with pain. On clinical examination, hypertonic anal sphincter elicited in 47 patients, sentinel skin tag was noted in the 23 patients. Group A included 34 patients treated with topical 0.2% nitroglycerin ointment and group B included 34 patients who underwent lateral internal sphincterotomy. In group A, 25 (73.5%) patients treated successfully, 9 (26.4%) patients were uncured who underwent lateral anal sphincterotomy, with no fresh complaints during follow up. By contrast, all patients in group B were successfully treated and only one (0.03%) patient came with unexplained discomfort and one patient suffered from flatus incontinency.Conclusions: This prospective study, demonstrates that open lateral internal sphincterotomy is superior to topical nitroglycerin application in the treatment of anal fissure with good symptomatic relief, high rate of healing with very low rate of early incontinence. Patients who are not willing to undergo surgery the glycerin trinitrate ointment can be used as medical line for fissure in ano.

No abstract

Abstract Background In cardiac resynchronization therapy, left ventricular (LV) lead placement at the desired position may be difficult due to abnormal coronary sinus (CS) and lateral vein anatomy. We present a case with difficult anatomy in which we used ‘an indigenous snare’ made from hardware used for coronary angioplasty procedures, which is available in any cardiac catheterization laboratory. Case summary A 52-year-old man presented with dyspnoea due to chronic heart failure was evaluated for cardiac resynchronization therapy. The LV lead was difficult to advance into the only target lateral branch of the CS due to a combination of angulation and proximal stenosis. Balloon dilation was tried first, but we failed to track the LV lead. We formed a venovenous loop, advancing the coronary guidewire 0.014″ into the posterolateral vein; subsequently into the middle cardiac vein via a collateral. The wire was advanced into the CS and then to superior vena cava. The guidewire then snared through the same left subclavian vein and exteriorized by using indigenous snare. Over this loop, the LV lead of the cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator device was implanted successfully. Discussion We have used the snare technique, with the use of a snare prepared from a coronary guidewire. Use of such an indigenous snare has not been described before in the literature. The hardware used in this case is routinely used for coronary angioplasty procedures in all catheterization labs. The importance of our case is that no special hardware like dedicated snare was required to negotiate the LV lead at its desired location.

No abstract

Effective biventricular pacing is important to improve survival in patients with heart failure. We report a case of a patient with heart failure, who underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy, who had loss of biventricular pacing when in low atrial rhythm. We discuss the probable mechanism for the same.