If you have chronic hemorrhoids, it pays to know ALL of your treatment options.
Hemorrhoidectomy (surgery) and rubber band ligation (a less invasive procedure) are both viable options to treat hemorrhoids. There’s just one problem. The recovery, which is made all the more difficult and painful because of the need to have regular bowel movements.
The internet is full of message boards where patients share their experiences following these procedures. They talk about the pain and the need for a significant amount of pain medication and in some cases, valium. They talk about difficulty sleeping and the need to follow a strict diet or fasting to limit their food intake. Some recommend taking several sitz baths a day to find relief from the constant pain and discomfort. Others say the pain recovering from hemorrhoid surgery is worse than that of childbirth.
About a year ago, we told you about a new procedure performed here at Precision IR—hemorrhoidal artery embolization or HAE for short. What patients like about HAE is that it is a completely different approach from surgery and banding. Instead of incisions inside the rectum, our doctors treat the hemorrhoid from inside the blood vessel itself (a hemorrhoid is really just an abnormal blood vessel, not all that much unlike a varicose vein). They use tiny catheters and imaging to guide the procedure. Because there are no incisions, there is no additional pain caused by daily bowel movements.
With HAE, the blood supply to the hemorrhoid is embolized or “cut off.” Over time, the hemorrhoid shrinks and symptoms are relieved.
Search the internet for people who talk about their experience with HAE. You’ll hear from those surprised to find out they experienced no pain after the procedure. Others talk about their ability to resume normal activities the next day. Some mention that the symptoms such as bleeding, itching and discomfort went away sooner than they expected.
But the most powerful testimonials are from those that have had surgery or banding in the past and recently had HAE. Can you guess which treatment they preferred?
If you’re looking for a safe and effective treatment for chronic hemorrhoids that offers a much easier recovery, consider HAE from the doctors at Precision IR. As always, we encourage you to do your own research and listen to what patients have to say about all of the treatment options before you decide on the one that’s right for you.
