Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels that form just inside the anus. This is a common, non-life threatening situation that affects the majority of individuals at some time during their lives. When the swelling increases, hemorrhoids can come out through the anus and form small fleshy pouches that can bleed, itch, and are uncomfortable, and irritating.
External hemorrhoids are referred to as protruding or prolapsed hemorrhoids. When the enlarged pouches do not shrink, they stay on the outside of the anus and become permanently prolapsed. For severely painful cases, there are medical procedures available to surgically remove both internal and external hemorrhoids. If hemorrhoid removal is determined to be the most effective method to eliminate pain and irritation, the doctor will discuss the various surgery options with the patient. Most hemorrhoid removals are performed as an outpatient procedure by a General Surgeon in his Victorville office or a clinic and the patient returns home the same day.
There are a number of minimally invasive surgical procedures to remove hemorrhoids, and while these methods are less painful and the recovery time is shorter, there is the potential for hemorrhoids to reform if patients do not follow their surgeon’s advice on dietary and lifestyle changes. Minimally invasive hemorrhoid surgeries include the following:
PPH (Procedure for Prolapse and Hemorrhoids) is a procedure that uses a stapler style device to cut off the blood supply to the hemorrhoids so that they will shrivel up and die.
Infrared Light or Laser Beam are methods used to burn away hemorrhoids.
Sclerotherapy is a technique that injects a chemical solution around the swollen vessels to shrink and kill off the hemorrhoids.
Rubber Band Ligation is a procedure that places a rubber band around the base of each hemorrhoid to eliminate the blood supply and destroy the tissue.
