Contents
The operation to remove hemorrhoids refers to radical methods of treating an unpleasant and difficult pathology.
Surgical intervention is intended for patients with chronic forms of varicose veins of the rectum, as well as during their acute course.
Modern experts always recommend conservative methods of treatment to patients, but if after that the patient does not improve, then surgical removal of the nodes is urgently prescribed. With the development of acute hemorrhoids, patients are always prescribed surgery.
The operation is appointed as a last resort. First, doctors carry out all possible therapeutic measures – they eliminate inflammatory processes and stabilize the patient’s condition. Only then can a decision be made about the operation.
When is hemorrhoid surgery prescribed?
If the patient has been diagnosed with moderately severe hemorrhoids, then surgery is not needed. You can do with conservative methods of treatment.
Surgical intervention may be required in cases where the patient has prolapsed hemorrhoids, thrombosis of hemorrhoids occurs, bloody discharge from inflamed veins often appears, and rare but profuse bleeding occurs.
If the patient is constantly bleeding, then anemia may develop. In the event that the nodes begin to come out, this can contribute to the development of skin inflammatory processes and inflammation of the perianal region. The fact is that hemorrhoids secrete specific mucus, which can irritate and reduce the protective features of the skin. In such cases, the skin becomes vulnerable to microbial infection. This, in turn, can cause a number of serious adverse effects.
Also, hemorrhoids can cause severe pain and itching. In such cases, the pain is severe enough, and the patient himself asks to be operated on in order to somehow feel relief.
Types of surgery to remove hemorrhoids
Recently, in medical practice, much attention has been paid to minimally invasive techniques for removing hemorrhoids. In the people, such a technique is called sparing. So, doctors refer to minimally invasive methods of removing hemorrhoids:
- sclerotherapy of the hemorrhoid (doctors inject an adhesive into the cavity of the nodes that connects the venous walls);
- cryodestruction (removal is carried out with liquid nitrogen of ultra-low temperatures);
- laser and radio waves;
- infrared rays;
- bandaging with a latex ring (the knot stops receiving blood and disappears over time).
All of the above methods of surgical treatment are carried out in an outpatient setting. During the procedures, patients are not given anesthesia, and after the operation they are sent home. It should be noted that the physical removal of hemorrhoids does not relieve the patient from the pathological process itself. It is impossible to strengthen the vascular walls with a minimally invasive technique and get rid of internal varicose veins. All methods described above are only suitable for patients who have an initial stage of development of the pathological process.
Traditional operations involve the excision of affected tissues using laser beams. This is a very difficult surgical event that can lead to serious complications. Also, after laser removal, it is necessary to go through a long rehabilitation period.
Preparatory and operational period
Before the operation, the patient must necessarily fulfill certain conditions, namely: pass all the necessary tests, undergo a diagnosis of concomitant pathologies, consult a therapist to determine possible contraindications.
The preparatory stage consists in the complete emptying of the intestines. Cleansing is carried out on the eve of the operation and immediately before the operation itself.
A similar procedure is carried out with the help of an enema and laxative drugs. It is also worth paying special attention to nutrition in order to normalize all the functions of the intestines and its walls. It is necessary to restore normal stool. This is a prerequisite, since constipation during the removal of hemorrhoids can cause serious complications. Recall that permanent constipation is the first step to the development of hemorrhoids.
Before the operation, it is very important to remove the inflammatory process in the anus, if it is, of course, present. It is also worth removing irritation and swelling. This can be done with the help of drugs and traditional medicine.
Postoperative period
The complexity of the rehabilitation period depends on the technique that was chosen to remove hemorrhoids, and, of course, on the general well-being of the patient. Almost all patients need to follow a special diet. It is strictly forbidden to eat foods that can load the intestines. The first 24 hours you need to refrain from defecation.
It is worth following all the recommendations of the proctologist. As a rule, after the operation, he prescribes a thorough treatment of the wound with special preparations. To reduce pain, doctors prescribe nitroglycerin ointment and analgesics in the form of an ointment that are applied to the affected areas.
Unfortunately, serious complications can begin in patients after surgery, so you should follow absolutely all the recommendations.
Complications after removal of hemorrhoids
In almost 50% of operations, patients develop complications. Doctors explain this by the fact that the operation itself is quite traumatic. If the operation was performed by an experienced specialist and followed all the technical rules of the procedure, and the patient followed all the recommendations after the operation, then complications can be avoided. Often in patients on the second day, suppuration begins. This occurs as a result of the fact that pathogenic microbes enter the wound. In this case, antibiotic therapy should be carried out in addition to anti-inflammatory drugs.
It is not uncommon for a patient to develop a fistula two to three months after surgery. In this case, repeated surgical intervention is necessary.
There are also cases when the patient narrows the anal canal. This occurs as a result of improper surgical technique and an incorrectly made suture.
All complications are easily corrected. Remember that after the operation it is very important to follow all the recommendations that the surgeon gives you. Thus, you can save yourself from a number of serious consequences.