Hemroids are usually best treated at home, using easily available home remedies, over the counter medication and lifestyle changes. However, every so often a hemroid, internal or external, gets so severe that surgery is the only option left. Of course, every surgical procedure is meant for a specific condition and each carries its own risks. Being able to discern between procedures and understanding the risks involved for each is an important responsibility that a hemroid sufferer cannot avoid if you want a good eventual outcome.
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Hemroid surgeries come in two categories, divided by what sort of hemroids they work on. Chemical sclerosis, infrared coagulation and latex banding all work on various sorts of internal hemroids. A full hemorrhoidectomy is the only thing that will work on an external hemroid. Of course, a hemorrhoidectomy may also be used on an internal hemroid should the situation warrant it, but none of the other procedures can be used on an external hemroid at all.
Chemical sclerosis is one of the mildest procedures and is often used on elderly people with small internal hemroids who may not stand up to more invasive procedures well. A chemical is injected into the hemroid in question that causes massive blood clotting throughout the swollen tissue. The hemroid has no more blood supply, so the tissue dies and sloughs off. The biggest problem with chemical sclerosis as a treatment is that the incidence of recurrence is high. However, if a person can't take a more severe treatment, chemical sclerosis offers a good chance of freedom from hemroids
Infrared technology offers another treatment option for internal hemroids. It is the least invasive kind of surgical hemroid treatment. IRC uses a particular frequency of low frequency light to cause the blood to coagulate within the hemroid, with a similar result to chemical coagulation. However, the clotting and sloughing process is a stage more extreme. The procedure itself is painless, but the following two weeks can be quite painful as the hemroid gradually goes away.
Latex banding is very useful for medium sized internal hemroids. When using this method, the size of the hemroid is very important. If it's too small and the latex band will slip right off. If it's too big, then the band won't be able to completely cut off the blood supply and the result will be similar to a thrombosed hemroid, which is to say very painful and you're still stuck with a hemroid. Latex banding is a particularly good method to get rid of a large number of relatively small to medium sized hemroids all at once. However, it may be one of the most painful internal hemroid treatments out there.
Full hemorrhoidectomy is the last option, and it's the only one that can be used on both internal and external hemroids. It's the most extreme surgical procedure and involves the complete surgical removal of the hemroid, either with a laser or with a scalpel. The two methods have similar statistical results, so use the one that the best surgeon in your area is the most comfortable with.
If your doctor tells you you must undergo a surgical procedure in order to cure your hemroid, he or she ought to be able to convince you in clear language you can easily understand. You have the right of informed consent, which is to say that you have the right to know what you're getting into before you agree. Keep asking questions until you're sure you understand everything, and don't hesitate to seek a second opinion. While a hemroid surgery may be your best option, it's a major event that you should never undertake lightly.
By: Donald L. Urquhart
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To find out more about hemroid surgery check out our hemroids articles and hemroid treatments.
Copyright 2010. Written by Donald Urquhart. All universal rights reserved.
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