Posted , 41 users are following.
Hello Everyone, I’ve been suffering from piles for some time now. I’ve been told about the Rafaelo procedure, as it suggests, will the surgery be painless. Please advise or share story of those who have had this particular procedure please. Thank you for any help.
1 like, 189 replies
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Ben4421 nabila79762
Posted
I’ve been reading the responses on this page for about a week now whilst I understand how Rafaelo works.
I have had issues with haemorrhoid and am lucky to receive private healthcare through my workplace which is why I decided to contact Bupa as the NHS weren’t willing to do much because of my age being between 20-25 (crazy).
After many attempts at injecting the haemorrhoids, I was in the position where I lost trust in my surgeon and started researching a new one. Can I just say, for me, the injections weren’t painful whilst they were actually happening however the pain and discomfort afterwards wasn’t very nice. I also felt lightheaded temporarily after having them.
So I turn to another surgeon who gave me much confidence and after researching different ops, I chose Rafaelo because of how easy it seemed. So here’s my experience..
I ‘woke up’ from the sedation completely out of it but not being able to stay still. I was in a lot of discomfort. Nothing major and nothing simple paracetamol can’t handle. When I got home, I was really sleepy. I would say for the first 4 days, I was taking the max amount of strong ibuprofen tablets prescribed to me as well as paracetamol. My experience wasn’t like what the marketing says about this procedure. I was in a lot of discomfort, feeling as though I constantly needed a BM. Heavy, just really uncomfortable. The first few days there is also discharge which is expected however I did not have much blood at all.
1 week today, I’m much better than I was and I’m only taking 1 paracetamol a day if needed. I’m back to work (yes - 1 week off!) My discomfort seems to be after a BM really and that’s all. I’m still feeling something drop when not the toilet but then again, it is still early days.
I suppose all I want people to understand is, everyone takes to ops differently. Pain threshold is also different so you are the only person who will truly know how much you will be able to handle so keep an open mind and good luck!
tej0001 Ben4421
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Ben4421 tej0001
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They did prolapse only upon BM. Still, 1 week on I have some prolapsing when BM
tej0001 Ben4421
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Ben4421 tej0001
Posted
I see from this thread, people are saying this could be a skin tag of some sort?
Are you still getting the full symptoms of hems?
tej0001 Ben4421
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tej0001 Ben4421
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Ben4421 nabila79762
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michael08911 nabila79762
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rob94597 michael08911
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Hi Michael
I posted about 3weeks post op but I am now 10 weeks approx.
The 1st 2 weeks after op were living hell to be honest.I had 7 large hems !!
The pain was very bad and the bleeding 2nd week was horrifying!!i ended up in a&e due to shock and worry to be honest.but after 3 days I was ok to go home,they basically kept me in to monitor things and I was receiving pain killers and morphine and was still quite constipated..
I am not trying to frighten anyone or put them off this procedure but just thought I would share my experience.
Today as I write this it was the best thing I have ever done!!totally hem free now and living life normally after 8 years of hell with hems.
Go for it but be prepared for pain and bleeding 1st 2 weeks!!
Good luck everyone..
Ben4421 rob94597
Posted
Hi Rob
I completely agree with your post here. I am 3 weeks post op and just after the 2nd week I had a very similar problem to you. Extreme loss of blood and multiple clots... so bad that I actually ended up being taken into A&E. Oddly not much pain and no warning. It was a very very frightening experience and I just wish I had been warned this could happen beforehand so it wasn’t such a big shock.
That wasn’t very long ago so I feel I am still recovering from that but hope to give a better update for all to see in a couple more weeks once I’ve had my follow up.
rob94597 Ben4421
Posted
Sorry to hear you went through similar experience,it is very frightening!
I think in general the Rafaelo procedure is a much kinder op than the traditional type and recovery time is a lot faster but they seem to promote it as a miracle op with limited recovery time,I think for some that may be the case.I hope people are not put off though because after the initial 2-3 weeks post,it has been a complete success.I was told to keep taking laxatives for a further 8 weeks to make sure no constipation occurs,which could result in tearing.It really is downhill for you now though and I am sure you are over the worst.Good luck and hope you make full recovery as I have.
I truly am living a different life now hem free,
And it was 100%worth it
suzana86 rob94597
Posted
This is very scary and thank you for sharing your experience. Will go for the procedure too. I have 1 hem grade 3 prolapsed so I am hoping they will fix it and hopefully the recovery is not so awful. I have been loosing blood while I have the pile every time it’s getting irritated no matter what! I changed my diet, I eat lots of fiber but nothing works...all the creams and remedies possible, I had banding too that make it worse so now I am willing to try anything just to make it go away. Will keep you guys updated.
All the best,
Suzana
rob94597 suzana86
Posted
I had 7 hems so hopefully you won’t have to go through the things I encountered.I have heard of people who have limited problems after.
Good luck it will be the best thing you do..
suzana86 rob94597
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Thank you for the encouragement ! Will keep you updated.
All the best,
Suzana
gary_79006 suzana86
Posted
Hi Suzana,
I have just had the Rafaelo op just under two weeks ago. It was done at Spire Alexander Walderdslade Kent.Under private health insurance from my work.
It seems here , they do this procedure under a GA, so i was out cold, I went down appx 15:30. I woke up feeling as groggy as hell, with low vitals for a while, then back to the ward around 1700. There I started to come around and feel better and something to eat. Finally discharged around 20:30. I was given a sick certificate for two weeks for this procedure and told me not to lift anything heavy and cause strain.. As it turned out I did actually need the first week, more I think due to the after affects of the GA, I was completely waxed out and so tired for over the week! I did go for a long walk day after and felt I had lost my way at one point and thought about a taxi as I was tired.
Pain wise though, I appeared to have very little in the first week and reading some of the other symptoms etc from other posts, I am not worrying about things too much as I have some in 2nd week
I had BM's with not too much problems and noticeable reduction in swelling, until the 3rd day, when I experienced some blood. However I felt full of helium and I was gassing unbelievably !! Which I am still not sure if that is the laxative, -Movicol they gave me- twice daily.
All was like this until exactly one week later on the Monday morning, I had a BM, with all the blood and clots Ian had referred to above, that was five days ago, However that was that, since then no blood at all. However since then I now have a pain in the area, where the largest problem Hem was, this uncomfortable, like pressure pain is till with me and feeling that you need to keep going to loo. Also i fear, I don't want to push too hard on this . I have a follow up on Monday coming, which will be two weeks after the op, so i will update after but reading the comments on this site, which I have to say has been very informative, seems some folks do go back to work straight away, others it can be 3 weeks or so, definitely not all will have the marketing garb experience. Im hoping this dull aching/pressure pain will eventually go an normality returns
FYi- I was diagnosed with 3 x stage 2-3, non prolapsing and I have suffered literally since a teenager with them on and off over the years, i am now 53. It has taken 33 years and approximately two and half years ago, as i got older, things were getting worse, to the point where it ruins and runs your life, work, holiday, sports, i' m a keen cyclist also, well that was being affected as it was becoming a nightmare! So I plucked up the courage, saw my consultant who at that time advised on my first inspection that I had a polyp and that had to be sorted out first, so that was first shedding of all worries of being concerned about being in a room with folks probing around in delicate areas, I can tell you, after about 3 colonoscopies, and several flexmoidologies/sigmoidoscopes , all my my inhibitions are well and truly banished !! You come out the other side a lot stronger, wiser and thankful as, if I had not gone for that Hem consultation, I would never have known about the single polyp, which turned out to be of the type that could of later developed into a problem and am happy to say I am now clear but will have a scope again in 5 years to check. As will most people now on reaching 55 with the new rollout. I would say to anyone, don't even think about it, just get it done, its a life saver.
After that was done, the consultant then advised a THD procedure was his recommendation for the Hems. Also a relatively new procedure back then, had minimal recovery time etc etc. Although for me I was unlucky, it was awful , at some point in that procedure I suffered a slight anal tear! Yikes, I have never experienced anything as painful and agonising, possibly mums may disagree comparing with labour and giving birth ! I don't know, I was off work for a month, I could not even go to loo, your body tells you there is a problem there and will try to protect itself, just a bad place to be!! It was excruciating and of course I thought I would never be the same again, this was it, the worst decision of my life. Of course I eventually healed and everything went back to being fine but the THD did not work, for me and the bleeding returned almost immediately but that could of been down to the surgical problem ,which caused me bad constipation/impaction etc.
So the options given to me this time were a repeat of THD ( no thanks), conservative topical treatments which I had done for years, a full Haemmoirhoidectomy or the Rafaelo.
At the moment, I have to say comparing to my last experience, this is nothing, i'm a little uncomfortable, I was lucky to return to work on 2nd week by working from home, unbelievably I still felt groggy and spaced from the GA, first time i ever had that for so long, apparently they used fentanyl and gas. However at home It was also a comfort to know just to be near your own bathroom as taking laxatives is the aftercare fo this.! I drove in for one day as a trial and was ok, next week I hope to be back to normal.
I would definitely recommend this procedure, im hoping they stay away after this as my consultant did say if this one did not work then the full removal is the only next option for me. Hope you going off it and get a better quality of life. I wish you success.
suzana86 gary_79006
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Thank you very much for sharing your experience. I have my consultation on the 11th of October and I suppose they will do the procedure on the same day if I am eligible for it. Will keep you updated! I am really scared but I need to go on with this as indeed ruins all my life, holiday etc. I am only 31 will turn 32 in December but I have been struggling with hems for 6 years now and I want my life back to normal. Will keep you updated.
All the best,
Suzana
gary_79006 suzana86
Posted
Hi Suzana,
I wish you well , they may do it same day, I had to come back, after the initial consultation. Is it private or NHS? I wish there had been something like this back when i was younger, back then it was either full removal or the banding, that was it, I didn't fancy either then and just coped. Im sure you will be fine and perfectly normal to feel scared, me too, and I would day all teh rest of the folks on here, I think everyone fears going for any of teh procedures to do with this and are just so relived when its over and looking forward to teh future, you will be the same im sure. Please keep me updated a Is will you.
Good luck
Gary
suzana86 gary_79006
Posted
It’s private clinic. Ian (a patient who was replying and writing about his experience in this conversation) had the procedure to the same clinic and the same surgeon. In London I found this is the only good clinic and I can’t wait to go and get over with. If I would’ve gone earlier now would be another story. I went to the Spire Bushey Hospital for banding back in November 2016, then May 2017 and it got worse. My hems weren’t so big, the little ones where successful but the big one became prolapsed and really sore!
I wish you speedy recovery and all the best! Will come back to you with updates.
Best wishes,
Suzana
tej0001 suzana86
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suzana86 tej0001
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Hi Tej,
I am going to The Whiteley Clinic -London and the consultant is:
Mr. Amyn Haji - Laparoscopic Colorectal and General Surgeon. Fingers crossed the procedure will be successful and I will get free hems after Rafaelo procedure 🙏🏻.
All the best,
Suzana
tej0001 suzana86
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suzana86 tej0001
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I am going for the first time, on the 11th of October but I was able to book before the 11th. I wanted to do it in October because at the moment the hens are really sore and it was bleeding and don’t want to go in this situation for a consultation and procedure. I am going private, will pay from my own pocket, no health insurance. I am better now, stopped the bleeding but as soon I have a hard bowl motion the bleeding and pain starts straight away. As Ian told me also the nurse manager from the clinic, you have the consultation and if you are suitable for the Rafaelo they do it straight away as they did it with Ian. Will keep you updated on how it will be after. I am hoping for a easy post procedure as I read some horrible recovery with bleeding, I could stand this pain as long as I will be hems free.
All the best,
Suzana