Editor's choice—December 2023.

This article discusses the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland's guideline on the management of anal fissure. The guideline emphasizes the need for high-quality research, education, and training in proctology, which has been a neglected area in colorectal surgery. The management of anal fissure is of interest to various healthcare professionals and stakeholders, and the guideline has been developed with broad stakeholder engagement, including patients. While there have been some refinements in pharmacological therapies and patient selection for operations, the guideline highlights the disappointingly low quality of evidence for most treatment options and calls for better research in this field. [Extracted from the article]