The study compared symptoms and manometric results in 76 patients (42 men and 34 women; median age: 45 years) before and at long-term follow-up (median time: 54 months) after fissurectomy with posterior midline sphincterotomy for anal fissure. The fissure healed in all cases. Sporadic loss of continence for flatus or for liquid stool occurred in 21 patients (27.6%) and soiling was present in 7 other patients (9.2%). Preoperative maximum resting anal pressure was significantly greater in the study group compared with 40 control subjects (p less than 0.001). Postoperative resting anal pressure fell significantly (p less than 0.001) and remained low on long-term assessment. Postoperative maximal squeeze pressure remained unchanged. No correlation could be found between preoperative and postoperative clinical symptoms (including continence) and anorectal manometry.