Surgery for Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids and its treatment
Hemorrhoids, also known as piles, are swollen veins that can be internal (inside the rectum) or external (outside the rectum) and forms hard lumps at the anus. In the beginning, hemorrhoids may cause burning sensation, itching, swelling, protrusion, bleeding, and pain which can sometimes be unbearable. Hemorrhoids are very common and it is observed that about half of adults suffer from hemorrhoids by age 50.

Constipation is one of the major causes that lead to hemorrhoids. Others causes can be increased bowel pressure due to pregnancy, being overweight, or strain during bowel movements.

How long do hemorrhoids last? Hemorrhoids can go away quickly in some cases but may recur again. In some cases, the take a long time to be cured and may require surgical procedure for treatment. There are many ways to shrink or remove the hemorrhoids such as by using laser therapy, rubber band ligation, etc. Hemorrhoids can be cured with several home remedies and healthy living habits but in case they are large and painful or bleeding occurs, surgery is the recommended option.

How to get rid of hemorrhoids through surgery?

Hemorrhoidectomy
Hemorrhoidectomy is a surgical procedure to remove hemorrhoids, or swollen veins in or around the anus. Large external and internal hemorrhoids which cause problems and do not respond to non-surgical procedures are treated with hemorrhoidectomy. During hemorrhoidectomy, small cuts around the anus are made to slice them away with the help of instruments like scissors, a scalpel or laser.

Read Also: Hemorrhoids: Understanding their Pathophysiology

Procedure for hemorrhoidectomy
Before the surgery, doctors are required to give anesthesia in any of the three forms:

• local anesthesia is given to numb only the anus and the rectum portion.
• regional anesthesia (or spinal block) numbs the bottom half of the body with a shot into the back
• general anesthesia makes the person completely unconscious and puts him/her into a deep sleep throughout the surgery

There are multiple ways to perform hemorrhoidectomy depending upon the condition:

• Small incisions are made around the hemorrhoids for the removal
• In some cases, to reduce or shrink the hemorrhoids, hemorrhoids are stapled (stapled hemorrhoidopexy) or a rubber band is tied around it to block the blood flow and cut it down.
• Then, a chemical is injected into the blood vessel of the hemorrhoid which causes it to shrink.
• After the removal of the hemorrhoids, laser therapy is used to burn the hemorrhoids and its surrounding infected blood vessels.

Risks with Hemorrhoidectomy
Some common risks associated with hemorrhoidectomy are:

• Infection after surgery (in some cases)
• excessive bleeding
• Stool leakage
• reactions due to anesthesia
• problems in passing urine due to pain
• narrowing of the anal canal
• loss of bowel or bladder control

Hemorrhoidectomy is the most effective and complete way to treat severe or recurring hemorrhoids. It was estimated that only about 5 out of 100 people have a risk of recurrence of hemorrhoids even after the surgery. Some complications of hemorrhoidectomy include temporary difficulty emptying the bladder which often leads to urinary tract infections.

After hemorrhoidectomy
In some cases, patients undergo severe rectal and anal pain after having hemorrhoidectomy or hemorrhoid surgery. Painkiller and over the counter medicines are given to ease the discomfort after the surgery.

Doctors recommend certain changes in the daily lifestyle to prevent the recurrence of hemorrhoids, such as:

• consumption of high-fiber diet and avoid fatty foods
• making lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and adopting a regular exercise program 
• drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water per day and staying hydrated reduces constipation
• a stool softener, made up to fibers, should be used to avoid strain during bowel movements
• heavy lifting activities, pulling, etc should be avoided.
• In some cases, pain and swelling might appear which is reduced with the help of ice packs, sitz bath, etc

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