Painless haemorrhoids for years - thinking of banding for aesthetic reasons?

I had an internal and external haemorrhoid, and skin tags from old hems, which were not causing me too much bother, but I was finding it a problem when my IBS flared up and I wondered often if the internal one was making it more difficult for stools to pass. I found I needed ages to get clean after going to the loo because skin tags can hold on to stuff, and after having them for probably 20 years, I decided to get them sorted. In my case, banding was not going to be suitable and so I went for a Haemorroidectomy.

I did not read anything before the op, because I wanted to avoid terrifying myself with horror stories. I went into it with no knowledge apart from the information sheet the hospital gave me at my pre-op assessment.

I am now 3 weeks post-op, and healing really well. I have gone down a dress size due to changing my diet and finally doing something to sort out my IBS (the reason I got piles in the first place).

I have been back to gentle normal activities since day 13 post-op, so the info sheet was right; they advise 2 -3 weeks off work. I am not going to lie, it hurts - a lot. The first week is the worst, the second week for me was much better and now, 3 weeks post op, I can sit down properly as the swelling has gone right down.

I can't comment on banding as I have never had it. I have read posts about people who have found it to be unhelpful in the long run so I would advise you to get a referral to a good consultant and see what they have to say. The NHS may decide it is better to just have 'em off, but look into other methods, too... some hospitals are doing another less painful surgery that does not have such a long recovery period. It is called THD PROCEDURE. Ask your Doctor to explain HALO, along with Haemorroidectomy and banding. Banding or a sclerotherapy might be worth a try first, but the consultant will know best.

I was not having pain with mine pre-op, but the surgery to have them literally cut off hurts like childbirth EVERY DAY for several days afterwards. I was regretting having it done for a week! However, now I feel like it gave me a head start in getting my diet right and sorting out my IBS and for that I am glad. I have never been so regular!

I hope this helps and good luck whatever you decide.

Mandy x

i had the same piles like you no pain only once in a year i feel pain or bleeding but i go only one time a day toilet for bowel for a 30 minuets or 45 minuets it also makes me lazy and i feel tired all the time.

i had my surgery almost 3 weeks back and now feeling batter active compare to before its up to you the first week of surgery will be very painful also depends on your doctor how he treats your surgery if all will go good you will recover with in 3 to 4 weeks for the rest of your life.

good luck....

I have similar condition as you, i think it is large though, its not painful and doesnt bleed but sometimes can cause discomfort, makes me rush to the toilet, and soiling. It tries to come out when i push during a bowel movement. I dont know how many I have it just feels like maybe one big one - how do you tell how many it is since its internal ? Actually alot of time it used to bulge out, at the moment its much less than before I am trying to control it with diet.

I am not going under the knife. Even though having it chopped off is good for the long term, those horror stories are real. SEVERE EXCRUCIATING PAIN and INCONTINENCE is definately a NO-NO-NO for me. Forget the pain for 1 week even one minute is very bad. Unless I am kept in hospital which they wont do or im at home on a drip of morphine and entonox for the whole period of pain - its a NO for me.

I have found though, improving diet does help but you have to be persistent with a strong will power. Mine used bulge out much more before but it bulges out much less now. I feared this surgery and I have improved my diet. Most important is plenty of water.

I know the options out there and the consequneces. I dunno if banding will work for me. If it doesn't doctors trick patients into banding under general aneathestic and then cut them off. In the UK they use an outdated method developed in "1937" developed by two doctors Milligan and Morgan which is not sutured and its called the Milligan-Morgan Technique. As well as the pain when going for a bowel movement i heard it feels like you are being cut with glass very hard inside, some people almost passout in the toilet or "scream" in agony. If you have a family in your house then this a BIG No

There are other techniques like: Laser, Atomizing, Harmonic Scaplel, HALO/TMD but but not all are available in the UK and half the procedures are a marketing gimmick thats why doctors consider an outdated ancient procdure to be the 'gold standard'.

What is the meaning of 'gold-standard' ? its just a bunch of cute words doctors play with patients under the knife and leave them in pain - dont get me wrong but those pain medications do more bad than good.

Of all this time since 1937 only recently have they developed the HALO procedure and not all surgeons are willing to use it because of lack experience, resources and funding.

Me personally, I wouldn't even go near the knife. I would try my best using diet or alternative methods. If you are persistent in a modified diet than you can slowly shrink them, it will just take time but its better than the after effects of surgery.

I would say let them develop some new technique or make HALO/ligation common than open surgery then i will go for it. I cant post links in here the moderator will punish me for it but heres somethings to consider before surery:

Early Complications Include:

1) Severe postoperative pain, lasting 2-3 weeks. This is mainly due to incisions of the anus, and ligation of the vascular pedicles.

2) Wound infections are uncommon after hemorrhoid surgery. Abscess occurs in less than 1% of cases. Severe necrotizing infections are rare.

3) Postoperative bleeding.

4) Swelling of the skin bridges.

5) Major short-term incontinence.

6) Difficult urination. Possibly secondary to occult urinary retention, urinary tract infection develops in approximately 5% of patients after anorectal surgery. Limiting postoperative fluids may reduce the need for catheterization (from 15 to less than 4 percent in one study).

Late Complications Include:

1) Anal stenosis.

2) Formation of skin tags.

3) Recurrence.

4) Anal fissure.

5) Minor incontinence.

6) Fecal impaction after a hemorrhoidectomy is associated with postoperative pain and narcotic use. Most surgeons recommend stimulant laxatives, or stool softeners to prevent this problem. Removal of the impaction under anesthesia may be required.

7) Delayed hemorrhage, probably due to sloughing of the vascular pedicle, develops in 1 to 2 percent of patients. It usually occurs 7 to 16 days postoperatively. No specific treatment is effective for preventing this complication, which usually requires a return to the operating room for one or more stitches.

This is nightmare from hell but in real.

There is a phrase 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' means 'One of the quickest ways to break something is to fix it when it ain't broken'

So, unless it is causing a lot of pain and bleeding i wouldnt go near the knife.

I have watched some real videos of the procedure and it is horrific they mess-up your anus. (The opening and that is a BIG NO-NO). The anus is cut open and dialated and the internal cuts which cause the severe pain.