Hemorrhoidectomy

At North Orlando Surgical Group, we are proud to have established a unique surgical practice characterized by superior skills and extraordinary services both to the patient we care for as well as their referring physicians.  We are recognized in Central Florida for our ability to perform complex procedures in the least invasive way.  Our attentive staff is focused on providing the highest level of personal services and are committed to making every patient’s surgical experience as comfortable and convenient as it can be.

Hemorrhoids are painful, swollen blood vessels in the rectum and anus. They can develop due to pressure from straining to move your bowels or empty your bladder, chronic cough, pushing during childbirth, or an increase in pressure in the abdomen from other diseases such as chronic liver disease. Hemorrhoids may be internal, external, or both.

Signs that you have hemorrhoids are:

• A painful lump at your anus
• Bright red blood in your stool or when you wipe after a bowel movement
• Itching

Most people with hemorrhoids will experience pain or itching in the area of their rectum and anus, and bright red blood with bowel movements. These symptoms are generally treated with over the counter or prescription medications such as hydrocortisone creams or ointments. It is recommended that a bowel regimen of soluble fiber and/or Miralax daily be followed closely to keep the bowels soft and easy to pass, in an effort to avoid worsening of symptoms. If medical treatment fails to bring relief you may be referred to a surgeon to discuss surgical treatment.

Occasionally a hemorrhoid can become thrombosed, or clotted, which is extremely painful. The treatment for this is to remove the clot. This tends to bring immediate relief. The doctors at North Orlando Surgical perform this in our office with local numbing medication. Once the thrombosed hemorrhoid has been treated, your doctor may recommend you undergo a hemorrhoidectomy to treat the remaining hemorrhoids.

Most doctors still perform banding or excisional hemorrhoidectomies. These procedures tend to be very painful. It is not uncommon to get a recurrence of your hemorrhoids when treated with these types of procedures. The doctors at North Orlando Surgical Group, however, offer many of their patients a new and improved method called a PPH Hemorrhoidectomy.

PPH Hemorrhoidectomy is performed in the operating room where the patient can receive a general anesthetic. A special device is inserted into the rectum where the tissues do not have pain receptors. This is why this a much more comfortable treatment. The entire ring of hemorrhoidal vessels is then stapled off, cutting off the blood supply to the hemorrhoids and causing them to shrink.

You can expect to have some discomfort for a few days following your procedure. You will be given a prescription for pain medication and instructed to do sitz baths several times daily to bring down any inflammation you may have. It is vital that you keep your stool soft and easy to pass during this time by taking a soluble fiber supplement and Miralax daily. Avoiding constipation will also help to avoid getting hemorrhoids again in the future. Most patients who follow these instructions will avoid recurrence of their hemorrhoids in the future.

Please call our office to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors to discuss whether a PPH Hemorrhoidectomy is right for you. You don’t have to live with painful hemorrhoids anymore!