Hemorrhoids or Piles are cushions of tissues filled with blood and pus. They are generally found in the rectum area, around the anus. When these tissues grow bigger or are enlarged, they can cause painful and unpleasant experiences. Some patients suffering from piles have symptoms so bad that treating them alone with medications is not enough.
There are several procedures to treat enlarged hemorrhoids to remove the tissues that cause the main problem. The treatment related to each case will be different, as the size of the piles and the severity of the condition determines the same. Doctors will usually recommend patients having grade 3 or 4 hemorrhoids for surgery. Local anesthesia will be given to the patient before the surgery is performed. However, if the doctor deems fit, he may suggest surgery for patients with grade 1 or 2 piles.
Sclerotherapy or injections
Piles treatment in Pune usually involves the use of injections and is generally recommended for grade 1 or 2 hemorrhoids. Besides injections, another device used in this type of treatment is a proctoscope. A proctoscope is a light and flexible tube with a light attached at its end. With the help of this tube and the light, the doctor can check the membranes inside the lining of the anus before starting the procedure.
With the help of the proctoscope, a liquid medication containing either polidocanol, zinc chloride or quinine is injected around the rectum area. The ingredients of the medication used helps in shrinking the hemorrhoids. This is done by destroying the blood vessels in the area, thus stopping the blood flow that was feeding the hemorrhoids, causing them to enlarge. However, sclerotherapy is not a one-time procedure. This treatment has to be done a couple of times to treat all the enlarged piles. This process is usually conducted once every few weeks for best results.
After a few sessions, some patients feel mild pain, discomfort, bleeding or a feeling that something is stuck in their back passage. On rare occasions, patients may also feel swelling in the area.
Banding or Rubber band ligation
This Piles treatment in Pune is an approach that is mainly reserved for grade 2 hemorrhoids. On several occasions, this technique of treatment has also been used for smaller grade 3 piles. This process requires the use of a proctoscope as well. The doctor takes the proctoscope and gently inserts it inside the anus. The proctoscope guides the doctor to place a small rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid. The rubber band is only a few millimeters wide and will often go unnoticed as a foreign object inside your body.
The rubber band is used to cut off blood supply to the hemorrhoid, which then shrinks and dies in less than seven days. The dead tissue along with the rubber band dies and falls off the body with the help of the stool. This process has to be done in sessions, once every few weeks to destroy all the enlarged hemorrhoids.
Rubber band ligation has been proven to show improved results and has better advantages for people suffering from grade 2 hemorrhoids. The patients have reportedly experienced lesser pain and were able to go back to normal work-life sooner.
Hemorrhoid removal or Hemorrhoidectomy
The name of the surgical procedure itself suggests hemorrhoid removal, where ‘ectomy’ essentially means to remove. With the help of instruments like a scalpel, laser or a pair of surgical scissors, the enlarged hemorrhoids are removed. This type of piles treatment in Pune is usually performed in higher grades of hemorrhoids like 3 or 4. In some patients, the wound is left open to heal by itself with medications, while in others it is partially or completely stitched.
Although an open wound may take longer to heal, they have lesser chances of having stitch-related complications or bruising trouble (hematoma). This surgical procedure may cause mild pain during bowel movements and sitting altogether may hurt as well. They can be curbed by painkillers.
Stapling
A more recently developed surgical approach, this method involves the removal of some enlarged hemorrhoids, while ‘stapling’ the remaining to the inner lining of the anus. This treatment is currently being used for treating grade 3 hemorrhoids. Patients who have undergone this piles treatment in Pune have experienced lesser pain compared to those who went through Hemorrhoidectomy.
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- Dr Rahul Kothari, a gastroenterologist in Pune with 11 years of experience
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- Dr Sanjay Kolte, a gastroenterologist in Pune with 27 years of experience