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These are varicosities or swelling and inflammation of veins in the rectum and anus
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Symptoms
- Intense pain at the time of passing stool.
- Bleeding per rectum.
- Itching in the rectal region.
- Sitting becomes painful.
Causes
- Chronic constipation and other bowel disorders. The pressure exerted to evacuate the constipated bowels affects the surrounding veins. This leads to piles.
- Prolonged periods of sitting or standing.
- Strenuous work
- Obesity
- Mental tension
- Hereditary factors
- Common during pregnancy
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Treatment
Hemorrhoidectomy
It is a true surgical procedure to excise and remove hemorrhoids.
- Doppler Guided Hemorrhoidal Artery Ligation
This is the only evidence-based surgery for all grades of hemorrhoids. A stay at the hospital is not required; patients are usually back to work on the same day. It is the best treatment for bleeding piles, as the bleeding stops immediately.
- Stapled Hemorrhoidectomy
Also called the procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids, it is designed to resect soft tissue proximal to the dentate line, which disrupts the blood flow to the hemorrhoids.
- Rubber band ligation: (RBL)
Sometimes called Baron ligation. Elastic bands are applied onto an internal hemorrhoid to cut off its blood supply. Within several days, the withered hemorrhoid is sloughed off during normal bowel movement.
- Hemorrhoidolysis/Galvanic Electrotherapy
Desiccation of the hemorrhoid by electrical current.
- Sclerotherapy (injection therapy)
Sclerosant or hardening agent is injected into hemorrhoids. This causes the vein walls to collapse and the hemorrhoids to shrivel up.
- Cryosurgery
A frozen tip of a cryoprobe is used to destroy hemorrhoidal tissues. Rarely used anymore because of side effects.
- Laser, infrared or BICAP coagulation
Laser, infrared beam, or electricity is used to cauterize the affected tissues. Lasers are now much less popular. Infrared coagulation has been studied in comparison with RBL and found to be as effective in hemorrhoids up to grade III.
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