My hemorrhoidectomy recovery

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Hi there, this is my first time posting to a forum of any kind regarding this issue, I have however read countless stories from all different places (over 99% horror stories) in the last couple of years. 

This post is to share my personal experience, answer any questions and also to get some feed back from people who have had the procedure done also. Forgive me in advance for the long post but I am trying to be as detailed as possible. 

First of all, I am a 33 years old male, 5’6 and 110 lbs. I have suffered from hemorrhoids since my teen years but within the last few years they have seriously affecting my life. I had 2 very large grade 3 internal,  2 external hemorrhoids and an extremely painful anal fissure. I had the 2 internal ones banded in April of last year but it didn’t work. 

My surgeon suggested that I do a complete Hemorrhoidectomy of int and ex hemorrhoids along with a sphinterotomy, HOWEVER, I have decided not to do the sphincterotomy because I was afraid of getting incontinence. 

DAY 1: I woke up in recovery at 6:00pm in excruciating pain, was given dilaudid thru IV with no relief and again about 15 mins later and then fentanyl about 10 mins after that and then 10mg of oxycodone by mouth, all which didn’t even touch the pain. I was then taken back to my room to get discharged. While waiting for the discharge nurse I decided to try to urinate but only a few drops came out. I then Signed my discharge papers and was wheeled out to my car and my father drove me home. During the car ride home (about 20 mins) the pain was still the same, I got home around 8:00pm, took stool softeners and ran a bath which offered some welcomed relief, repeated the bath about 30 mins later, ate some soup and crackers and took my second dose of 10mg of oxycodone and 1,000mg of Tylenol at 10:00pm. As I am writing this post it is 11:30pm and am in the bath again (3rd Time since I’ve been home). I Also would like to add that I am using extremely hot water because that seems to help better but am wondering if that could be harmful to the surgical area (any input would be greatly appreciated). The pain meds make me really tired but am not able to sleep for more than 15 mins because the pain wakes me up. 

All in all so far it is every bit as painful as advertised and i ABSOLUTELY DREAD when I have to have my first bowel movement. I am hoping that this doesn’t become one of those horror stories but so far it has been. But on the bright side, it has only been about 6 hours post op. 

I will be updating this frequently so feel free to any questions. 

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  • Edited

    ok so i had my surgery beginning of August and its now november. i too have had a horrific experience. this surgery has ruined my life.

    my specialist told me that after 6 weeks i would be able to return to all normal activities. its nearly 3 months. im still in constant pain after BM i have trouble sitting or even laying down. i have less pain if im standing. every morning after a BM im in pain for at least 3/4 hrs. in the afternoons im ok but i try to only have a bm once a day

    i had 3 internal hemroids, 2 healed well its only one thats extremely painful and not recovering.

    i was in pain before my operation hence why i went ahead with the op but i dont recommend it if you dont need to

  • Edited

    Interesting post. i was thinking you were not going to have a horror story. I have been reading all the replies and almost did not go through with my hemorrhoidectomy. But i am glad i did despite the negativity from these reviews. I had 2 large internal and two large external hemorrhoids. The procedure was complete excisions of all them.

    Surgery was at 0830 and I was sent home around 1100. I was able to urinate right after the surgery, normal release. I was given stool softener, narcotics, and Tylenol, and a sizt bath set. Got home after a two hour drive and was feeling fine. Wife made me some soup and I rested in my recliner watching TV. I decided to stay proactive and took the prescribed 650mg of Tylenol. I was a little groggy around 1630 and took a three hour nap. Got up and had some dinner while on my recliner. The pain the whole time was around 3 except when initializing movement, pain of 6 at the most. It quickly went back to 3. I was worried about my first bowel movement though. I can understand why there will be pain, stools moving past open wounds and all. I did have a pain flare up of 8 during this nights sleep, took a Tylenol.

    Day 1 post op: The pain still the same and I am keeping with the Tylenol plan. i don't want to do the oxy or gabapentin. Havent had a BM yet and am urinating just fine. Eating normal and binging Yellowstone. Drinking plenty of water and tea. Later that night the BM urge came, i was not ready mentally. Well, gotta do it It was not bad at all. I didnt feel it except when it passed the sphincter. They were small so maybe that is why. A little blood came with it. The pain elevated a little bit but not much. Cleaning was the next challenge. Tried the sitz bath and it helped with pain but it seems to be a lot of work After soaking, i just used a wet cloth and cleaned my sphincter area That night while sleeping, pain was elevated again but was in an expanded area from the sphincter. I broke down and decided to try a gabapentin. Not sure why, it just tingled in my fingers and my ass was still in pain.I held out for another hour until it was time for the Tylenol. I take them at 0600, 1400, and 2200 hours.

    • Edited

      Post op day 2: Seems my bowel movements are coming back to normal. I had one when I woke up and the pain didn't change. Instead of sitz baths, i am now cleaning up in the shower. Just let the water hit the wound and rinse away blood and feces. It also relieves the pain. Anyway, more of the same. Resting, eating, drinking, TV. Pain still around 3. Just waiting for the wounds to heal so I can get back to work

      Post Op day 3: No extra pain when sleeping last night. Had small movement this morning with a lot of blood. Took shower and repeat yesterday. Still on Tylenol regimen.

      i understand that we all have a different threshold for pain. I am just letting you know that it is possible your experience may not be as bad as most here are explaining.

  • Posted

    Does anyone know if its normal not have had a bm after 3 days after this surgery? I'm yet to have one still in intense pain, packing fell out this morning but since then when I need to pass wind or feel the need to poop my rectum instantly closes and its painful, like I didn't pass wind quick enough.

  • Posted

    I'm a 33 year old female. I started getting hemorrhoids after my 2nd child. I had no idea what they were but it was many external and painful ones. I've been dealing with them off and on for 10 years. Suppositories used to help. About 6 months ago I started getting them more frequently and lasting longer. Out of 6 months, I would have 1 week in total with them. I had surgery (my absolute last option) 4 days ago. Remember, my hemorrhoids were external. I stayed overnight at the hospital because my surgery was so late. I woke up in discomfort but not pain. I had to get a catheter because I couldn't urinate (that was painful).

    Day 1: I drive myself home (I have no family or friends in town). Started feeling the pain. Started taking hydrocodone and colace. Pretty much slept all day.

    Day 2: EXCRUCIATING PAIN. I couldn't move. Couldn't eat anything. I've never cried and pleaded with God so much in my life. Feels like razors when I pee. Dr. prescribed oxycodone. Took 1 got sick to my stomach. Haven't taken it since.

    Day 3: EXCRUCIATING PAIN. took sitz baths 4 times a day. Felt like i was having a Bowel movement but it wouldn't come out. Only blood clots. When i felt the bowel movement go back up, it felt like it was ripping stitches right out. I passed out on the floor for about an hour. Finally are a meal.

    Day 4: Moderate pain. Trying to take only over the counter meds but I can only lie on 1 side. I can't sit, walk, lay on my back, stomach or the other side. It feels like something on my left side is tore. In 1 spot. That is where my pain is coming from. I still can't have a bowel movement although I feel like it's trying to come out.

    I hope there are better days to come. I'm really depressed right now.

  • Edited

    I’m extremely scared to get this surgery after hearing all the horror stories. I’m a 40 year old male who has ulcerative colitis so I’m on Remicade for about 10 years now and that’s all managed fine. I had to visit a colorectal surgeon about 5 years ago who removed a polyp near the nerve line and that was incredibly painful. Constant pain for 2 days and I was practically in tears. I can’t imagine going through something even more intense.

    Last year I was dealing with bad internal hemorrhoids that were causing me to become anemic. No pain though. I went to the same surgeon and his nurse checked me out and said I had very large internal hems and external as well. She said we could band them but that she thinks I’d need surgery eventually. The banding helped and stopped the bleeding but I didn’t do more than 2 columns since it was pretty painful after that second time and Tylenol wasn’t helping.

    Well fast forward to last Thursday. Completely out of the blue I woke up with pain outside the opening and I think it is two of the external hems that are thrombosed. I’m scheduled to go in Thursday but the nurse is already saying over the phone that it may be time for surgery. I have a feeling once she sees the size of it she’s going to recommend I get surgery ASAP (it’s basically 3 inch by 1 inch and completely on one side).

    I’m surprised the pain isn’t too bad but physically I don’t see how anything can be done other than surgery given the size. I’m so scared and not sure what to do. I have my Remicade in a few weeks which I’m not sure if I’ll even be able to get done if I’m in recovery and I can’t miss it. My parents can’t come to take care of me until next month but my best friend and his wife are telling me to recover at their place. I don’t think they realize how intimate of a surgery this is. I’m just scared of the pain and the doctor not giving enough pain meds. He’s supposed to be one of the better ones in the area but I felt like the pain medication he gave with last surgery wasn’t strong enough and his nurse is surprised it went so painful for me with that one.

  • Edited

    Hello all,

    I appreciate that this thread is old now, and i hope everyone is doing well, but when you Search for a forum on recovery this is the top answer. And i just want to say that for other people searching this topic, this thread absolutely terrified me - almost out of surgery.

    I understand that every body is different and we all experience pain differently, but i really just wanted to tip the balance.

    I'm 34 female. Good general health. Plant based diet. Removal of two haemorrhoids and anal tags, plus stitching of two smaller internal ones in the hope they don't get worse.

    I have been waiting in dread for the excruciating and unbearable pain mentioned many times below, but that is absolutely not my experience.

    Day 0 - i awoke from surgery in no pain, obviously still benefiting from the anaesthetic. I was sent home with antibiotics, opioid pain relief, laxatives and gel lidocaine pain relief.

    Arrived home, ate and drank as normal (soup and bread, a yoghurt, sugary tea). Took two paracetamol and Went to bed.

    Day 1 post-op - I awoke at about 4am, uncomfortable but not in pain. Moved around in bed for a couple of hours before getting up. Ate half a banana, a cup of water and coffee, two more paracetamol. Took a warm bath.

    Still no need of the prescribed painkillers but i am definitely aware there is some throbbing sensation. Feeling more uncomfortable from the constipation than anything else so i continue with prescribed laxatives.

    My first bowel movement (bm) was incredibly slow going and it was very painful, it made me feel sick, faint and sweaty, and i had to lie down for a while after. So that is consistent with other posts! Sickness carried on for the rest of the day.

    The second BM was about 50% easier.

    Day 2 - I slept for about two hours at a time. I woke up and spent the day feeling very nauseous.

    Day 3 - I felt better but BMs still painful and slow going.

    Day 4- Much of the same. BMs are very painful at the time but there is much less pain in general. I would describe it as uncomfortable.

    The worst thing about it is the half constipation. You feel the need to go without actually going for most of the time.

    By Day 8 i am only feeling pain as and when i have a BM. The rest of the day is completely fine. I am cautious of what i eat and i take stool softeners as prescribed, but ultimately the ordeal is over and i am able to live my life again.

    Here's some things that helped:

    Sitz Bath (with salts)

    Warm baths

    sanitary pads

    witch hazel wipes

    extra gauze padding from the hospital, as sanitary pads won't really help day one.

  • Edited

    Hi all,

    I just wanted to share my recent experience of an open haemorrhoidectomy (not banding) performed through the NHS in the UK. I'm female, mid thirties.

    Before my surgery I spent a lot of time reading through forum responses about the surgery, recovery, benefits etc. Some of them frightened me to death, although I was conscious of the fact people usually only share negative experiences online. So I thought I'd share to hopefully help someone about to go through the same thing.

    I had internal and external haemorrhoids with large external skin tags not pleasant. They were sore, would bleed a lot and I was self conscious of the appearance of them. So after my consultant ruled out any other causes of bleeding (via flexible sigmoidoscopy which was a piece of cake) he referred me for surgery. I'm not sure why I was referred immediately for an open haemorrhoidectomy rather than banding, possibly because of the skin tags? Who knows.

    The surgery itself:

    Day case procedure, told me it would take 30-40 minutes under GA. When taking my consent the surgeon really drilled into me how painful recovery would be - not reassuring, but i appreciated the honesty. Cannulated, pregnancy tested (not going to lie, if that came back positive I'd have been far more scared than what I was facing with butt surgery!) and changed into a gown, I was good to go. No enema, no bowel prep.

    I woke up feeling sick (which is par for the course for me, GAs always make the throw up) but otherwise feeling OK. Puked once, came round a bit, then was transferred back to day surgery to recover. No real pain and this point, more a weird sensation pressure.

    I had water, tea and a small meal, then once I'd been for a pee I was discharged.

    Discharged with advice to eat a normal diet, take regular ibuprofen and paracetamol and lactulose. Also a weeks course of antibiotics.

    I was told there was a surgical packing in place (up my bum) which would pass once I had my bowels open.

    Recovery week 1:

    When I got home, I still felt pretty good. A little tender but not in pain as such. I was eating my normal diet which includes drinking about 2L water a day. Slept really well the first night.

    The following 2 days were OK, it was painful but not horrendous. Kept regularly topped up on paracetamol and ibuprofen, lactulose twice a day and also took some senna tablets at the end of day 2 as I was worried about being constipated.

    First poop - so people aren't lying about this. It was rather awful. Despite my efforts to avoid constipation I guess they gave me opiates when I was under GA as it was difficult to pass.

    The pack did pass as promised.

    Following the first poop, I started going twice a day, with a pretty decent amount of pain during and afterwards. I did buy a sitz bath, however I found that I got more relief by running a shallow bath with some epsom salts in and soaking my bum in there for 15-20 minutes after a bowel movement.

    All in all, over the course of week 1, I had maybe 36 hours of significant pain (the type that has you questioning if you've done the right thing or not) but otherwise it was sore, tender and painful at times but manageable.

    Week 2:

    The soaking after pooping continued, pain levels gradually improved. Towards the end of the second week I noticed that after pooping it would feel like I had painful, swollen piles (about four hard lumps around

    my bum) which would get very sore and itch a bit too. The swelling got worse after a bowel movement and would be painful. Soaking in the bath helped, I also bought some haemorrhoid cream to see if that helped and it really did just applying it to my bum after the bath seemed to help the swelling, itching and pain.

    Week 3:

    I went back to work (office based). Still needed the painkillers for the first couple of days, however afterwards I stopped them.

    Gradually found no need to soak after pooping and the pain was definitely easing off. The bleeding was decreasing as was the discharge.

    The four little lumps around my bum were still there and would swell a bit after going to the loo, but I continued using the cream and it got a lot easier.

    Week 4:

    This is where I am now, halfway through the week.

    I'm off the painkillers and lactulose. I am no longer terrified of pooping, it's fine now, just occasionally the lumps will swell slightly so i'll use the haemorrhoid cream.

    Appearance:

    I know it's shallow and a bit bizarre to be worried about, but pre surgery I was concerned about how my bum would look after the op. I was self conscious of my large skin tags, so didn't want to be dealing with that forever.

    Like I have said, I was four swollen lumps down there, however I know this is early days and they are still healing. They are getting smaller daily. The appearance now is already a lot better than it was before the surgery, despite the consultant telling me not to look for 3 months because it will look horrendous until it is fully healed.

    Pain:

    It's sore. I know people have different pain thresholds and I don't think I'm particularly brave, but there was only 36 hours in the first week recovering that made me question my decision, otherwise it was manageable with paracetamol and ibuprofen.

    Bleeding and discharge:

    From day one, i noticed a decrease in the amount of bleeding I had compared with pre-surgery. When I "wipe" now (although it's more dabbing with baby wipes) there is barely any blood.

    The discharge is a bit off putting. I used sanitary pads for the first week and it's a bit odd because your bum feels "wet". But it's just healing fluid and it's almost stopped now. I was a bit worried at one point due to the colour looking a bit yellow/green but I've been assured that's normal and it has almost gone now.

    Conclusion:

    Everyone will have a different experience. Our bodies are all unique. BUT speaking from my experience, it was not as bad as I feared after reading up online and speaking with the healthcare staff.

    I don't regret it.

    Hope this can help someone 😃

  • Posted

    Hi i am 7 days post Hemorrhoidectomy op & am concerned about acute swelling. The pain is starting to lessen. However i have a marble like large lump protruding from my anus. is this normal? Did anyone else have similar swelling & if so how long until it goes away. very concerned.

  • Posted

    Hey there.

    I am day 4.

    6ft, 180lbs, 47 years fairly healthy.

    I have some advice on pain management.

    I did General Ana. loads of pain upon waking.

    Took percocet. still pain but very conscious of it. Felt horrible on perc. tried 800 mg of ibuprofen. on day 2. Felt better in the head but still pain. Pain being at a serious 9 or 10 constantly.

    Day 4

    Got another drug. Tramadol. Didn't work.

    remember that I had thc gummies. Mind you, I am not a user at all. Took at 10am. 1030am I was in heaven. For about 3 to 4 hrs. Made my first movement on it and man it helped.

    Day 4 is almost done and I am high again. And no pain when I lay down. A well deserved relief.

    Don't get me wrong, I still have pain but if I manage my time I get longer breaks of pain which makes this whole experience less of a pain in the ass.

    Hydrate, miralax, non constipating food, GUMMIE, Sleep, Heat and ice repeat.

    This is working for me.

    I think the drugs tries to mask the pain. Gummies help your brain trip which puts the rest of the body in the same state.

    puts a smile in my face also.

    Good luck

  • Posted

    Hi

    I'm 2 days post surgery and honestly feel like this pain wont ever end. I had surgery to remove 3 x Grade 4 Roids on 31st January.

    On discharge i was given 30/500 Co-codamol & 200mg Ibuprofen and a bottle of Lactulose. I find the medication just about takes the edge off. I'm thinking of contacting my own GP to ask if its possible to prescribe something stronger. I'm taking the painkillers every 4-6 hours and the Lactulose 2 times per day.

    I'm not sleeping much as im been woken by a throbbing sensation constantly. Also getting through lots sanitary pads. I just wanted to ask if this is how you were feeling on day 2.

  • Posted

    i am reading everyone's posts and am right in that same boat. I am on day 6 post op. i slept four hours for the first tome all week. I'm still bleeding when i wipe. I had hemorrhoidectomy to remove a skin tag a d internal hemorrhoids. like m many of you im writing this from the one place i feel a ything close to comfort - the bathtub. I have felt nauseous dizzy headaches and just all-around horrible this whole week I can’t figure out if the nausea is coming from the pain the amount of medicines that I’m taking because I’m currently taking fiber still softener 800 mg of Motrin and tramadol as needed but I’m trying not to take that as much. I currently walk around the house whimpering like the wounded puppy because I just can’t help it I still have swollen hemorrhoids on the outside I’m able to go to the bathroom but it’s actually excruciating... my doctor originally told me it would take a week to heal put me on leave for two weeks but I’m reading everybody’s post and I really starting to wonder how long it’s gonna take to recover... I had to send my doctor a photo because my swollen hemorrhoids that are still there on the outside had something white on them look like it was like a pass but it wasn’t it wouldn’t wipe off and it just look like a different color part of the hemorrhoid and he told me not to worry about that but how do you not worry about that. any tips woukd be great. 😦

  • Posted

    Hello all, I am in Australia and in day 9 post op. I am 72 years old and had hemorrhoids since 1978 when I was a Bus driver in Perth Western Australia. They have never been painful but the bleeding was finally to much to bare. Over the years I tried banding twice and both failed. I had to large internal and external hemorrhoids and was told by the specialist surgeon (in 2020) that it was the most painful surgery you can have, so, I chickened out and then covid hit so that was a good excuse. Roll onto to 2023 and they had to go so I booked in. Enough pre-amble.

    After the op, I was pleasantly surprised that the pain was bearable, I had my first BM that day and the plug came out. I stayed in overnight and the next day I went home and had my next BM and the stool was soft and not much pain. The next day my world turned upside down and the much-mentioned pain roller coaster began (and it's still going), I was so badly constipated for two days that nothing would move and I was pumping stool softners like you would not believe, in the end, I finally went to the toilet and my muscles went into spasm and I felt like I was trying to crap a tree but, finally it came free and I had 6 painful bowel movements. The next day I called the surgeon and he told me to come in as I was afraid I had done damage, I had not at least. Nights are the worst, having a BM at night and going to bed and crying in pain.

    Ok, that's the bad part, there is no good part but at least some helpful part. DO NOT use Oxy, it turns your poo into concrete, I only use tramadol for drug pain relief as it is the low end of the opioid scale and does not seem to cause constipation. I use Panadol and Nurofen to help with pain relief and drink lots of water to try and keep the stool soft. After BM, the pain is really bad but have worked a routine that seems to work. I am fortunate in having a Japanese toilet (why doesn't everyone, they are amazing) that has a bidet and gently washes the area. I rented a portable commode (chair with toilet seat and bowl) and I have a big bowl that sits in it (I don't have a bath) and I put salt in the bowl and hot water and sit in that for as long as I can, this helps cleaning and does give relief. Then I get into the shower and have it as hot as I can bear it and then put a new pair of Pull Up napkins on (Tena Men active fit I found the best) and then take the pain killers. This seems to be a good routine and helps.

    Best night and bad morning: last night I had my best night and only got up to pee (by the way, also had the pee problem for a while as well) and easily went back to sleep and actually got 9 hours of sleep, the best so far. This morning was really painful even after the routine I developed but now, about 2 hours later, the pain is easing off at last for today at least.

    Lastly, can I say, this IS the most painful op I have ever had and I have had quite a few (not the place to go through all the others) so, unless you are in agony from the hemorrhoids or your health is suffering, make sure you have tried everything and are prepared for weeks of misery and pain, even your doctro will tell you that, mine did and at times I wished he could put them back!! The only thing that keeps me going is, it WILL get better, eventually.

  • Edited

    My doctor did not recommend the surgery as it was very painful. He has performed many different operations and the complaints of pain that he has received the most were from hemorrhoidectomy procedures. He was not wrong. I am on day 5 of recovery. Pain meds like oxi, don't do anything. Prescription lidocaine doesn't do any numbing either, i been dealing with nausea off & on throughout each day as well. Sitz baths put my legs asleep so that makes for a great time trying to get off the toilet when your rectum is inflamed from surgery. Hot baths are your friend! jacuzzi tubs make it better as the water circulates. I kid you not when i say that the pain is unfathomable. I described the pain to my wife with saying that my anus feels like it has been wiped raw with 60 grit sandpaper and the pressure against it feels like someone has been constantly applying pressure with the handle before trying to cram the barrel end of a softball bat up there when trying to get out of a chair, bed, tub, recliner, etc. Serious question though, has anyone sneezed since their surgery? I did today and I thought I got ripped open.

  • Posted

    is anyone active on here and can help me??? its been 15 days and the swelling is as awful as ever. i look SO MUCH WORSE than before. I am so depressed and hopeless i'm just looking for encouragement that it takes time and is normal. i cant look like this forever. had i know i wouldve never gotten it removed 😦

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