ABSTRACT
Many patients present to the surgeon with anal symptoms. All patients require careful assessment to exclude serious pathology. Most, however, will be found to have minor anal pathology, the majority of which will require no surgery. Many patients only require reassurance that the symptoms are not caused by cancer. Others have troublesome symptoms for which medical treatment or a minor procedure undertaken in the outpatient clinic may be all that is required. Many with defaecatory problems or impaired continence will require careful assessment of their problem, but only a minority will be helped by surgery.
