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What is Hemorrhoid Surgery? |
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Written by Gary Presant, MD
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Tuesday, 20 October 2009 |
Hemorrhoid surgery is done to remove or reduce the size of hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels in and around the anus and lower rectum. They are classified as internal, meaning inside the anus, or external, meaning outside the anus.
Who is a candidate for the procedure?
Many times, hemorrhoids resolve on their own. Conservative medical treatment can clear up other hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoid surgery may be performed when hemorrhoids cause severe pain or bleeding. It may also be recommended if the hemorrhoids prolapse, or stick too far out of the anus.
How is the procedure performed?
Hemorrhoid surgery may be done in a doctor's office or in a hospital. It is done using anesthesia, a medicine that makes a person unaware of pain. Local anesthesia may be applied to one small part of the body so no pain is felt in the area of surgery. Or a person can be put completely to sleep with medicines, called general anesthesia. In this type of pain control, a person feels no pain anywhere in the body.
There are five methods used to remove or reduce the size of hemorrhoids. They are:
- Cryosurgery. The hemorrhoid is frozen with liquid nitrogen.
- Hemorrhoidectomy. The surgeon uses instruments to permanently remove the swollen part of the blood vessel.
- Laser surgery. The hemorrhoidal tissue is burned away with a laser beam.
- Rubber band ligation. A rubber band is placed around the base of the hemorrhoid. The band cuts off the flow of blood, and the hemorrhoid withers away in a few days.
- Sclerotherapy. A chemical solution is injected around the blood vessel to shrink the hemorrhoid.
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