Hemorrhoid Symptoms, Surgery and Recovery Time – Things You Need To Know

Hemorrhoids are an unpleasant condition caused by swelling and inflammation of the veins located in the area of the anus and rectum. When an enlarged vein becomes irritated, becomes inflamed and becomes blocked a hemorrhoid forms.

This is a very common condition and according to some research, almost 50% of all people have developed this condition at least once in their life. More than half a million people a year seek medical help because of hemorrhoids. It is estimated that millions of people have hemorrhoids. The majority of patients with symptomatic hemorrhoids are between the ages of 45 and 65 years.

There are several surgical and non-surgical procedures that will relieve the symptoms of chronic hemorrhoids. Some of them are:

Hemorrhoidolysis: the drying of hemorrhoid using some electrical instruments. It is painless and very effective.

  • Dilation: Relieving hemorrhoids could also be done by stretching the anal sphincter muscle, but this method has several side effects, which made it very unpopular.
  • Sclerotherapy: This treatment is done by injecting a hardening agent into the hemorrhoids.
  • Laser, infrared or BICAP coagulation
  • Hemorrhoidectomy

A hemorrhoidectomy is the most effective Hemorrhoid Surgery. It is the best and the most effective method of treatment for hemorrhoids. The main purpose of a hemorrhoidectomy is to relieve symptoms associated with hemorrhoids that have not responded to more conservative treatments. Surgery is very useful since it completely relieves the symptoms of hemorrhoids that could not be relieved by non-surgical treatment or control of prolonged bleeding that could lead to anemia.

Hemorrhoid Surgery can be performed under local or general anesthesia. Local anesthesia causes a loss of sensation in the area where the surgery is going to be done, but the patient remains awake during the operation. General anesthesia causes the patient to lose consciousness during the operation.

Recovery Time

During the first hour, patients should be on their back in order to reduce the risk of a headache induced by anesthesia, which can be painful and prolonged. Inpatient stay is minimized and patients may be able to return home the same day or may spend 1 to 2 days in the hospital. Pain medication is prescribed and should be taken as directed. In general, full recovery can last from 6 weeks to 2 months.

Each individual must do some particular activities in the first three to four weeks after the Hemorrhoid Surgery and Recovery Time. Some of these activities are:

  • Avoid lifting heavy objects
  • Keep the incision clean and dry
  • Eat a diet high in fiber
  • Drink much liquid
  • Take a stool softener or a laxative to prevent constipation.

After the operation of hemorrhoids, the patient can return to his work activity between 7 and 10 days, although it will depend on the type of work he has. In this case, it is best that the specialist who operated on you indicates when you can resume your work according to your particular case.

There is also a Hemorrhoid Surgery that is done with a laser, however, the main difference between undergoing a laser hemorrhoid surgery or conventional hemorrhoid surgery is the Recovery Time. In both cases, the technique used is the same, although in the case of the laser it allows less postoperative pain during the first days, although this also depends on each case.