Hemorrhoid Relief Without Surgery
Hemorrhoids are a condition where veins in the anus and lower rectum become swollen. Hemorrhoids affect up to 40% of the population and typically worsen with age. We offer an innovative new procedure called Hemorrhoid Artery Embolization (HAE), which allows people to achieve relief from hemorrhoids without the need for surgery.
What Are Hemorrhoids?
Your anal canal has external and internal vascular structures, including veins that help drain blood flow. When these veins become inflamed and enlarged, they are referred to as “hemorrhoids”.
Hemorrhoids can be external or internal, depending on how deep they are positioned in the anal canal. Several more common symptoms that patients experience with hemorrhoids include:
- Rectal bleeding
- Rectal pain or itching
- Swelling around the anus
- Fecal leakage
Hemorrhoids typically resolve on their own and with home remedies like high-fiber diets, exercise, and hemorrhoid creams. However, if they become severe and chronic, especially in cases of internal hemorrhoids, they can be treated either with endoscopic procedures or hemorrhoidal artery embolization.
How Does HAE Work?
HAE is a minimally invasive procedure performed in an outpatient setting. During an HAE procedure, our expertly trained physicians make a slight incision in the upper thigh and insert small catheters, aided by image-guided technology, into the arteries supplying the hemorrhoids. Tiny particles or coils are then injected into these arteries, blocking the blood flow to hemorrhoids, and stopping the bleeding.
Advantages of HAE:
- As a non-surgical procedure, there is no need for stitches or general anesthesia.
- Recovery is quick! Most patients resume normal day-to-day activity the next day.
- Very low risk of infection and other complications.
- It does not carry the risk of rectal incontinence like traditional surgical techniques. It is performed through a pinhole in the femoral artery instead of requiring access to the rectum through the anus.
- It can be offered to patients who are not the best surgical candidates, like those with inflammatory bowel disease, previous radiation, or those already struggling with incontinence.
- Most patients find immediate relief from their symptoms and report significantly less bleeding after treatment.
Hemorrhoid Artery Embolization Recovery
After HAE, you will be monitored for a few hours in a recovery area before being discharged home. You may experience some pain and discomfort after the procedure, which can be managed with medication. You will need to avoid strenuous activity for a few days and follow your doctor’s instructions for care. Patients can typically return to regular activities the day after the procedure. Your hemorrhoid symptoms will typically improve as the hemorrhoids shrink.
We know that dealing with internal hemorrhoids can be a troubling medical condition that can cause physical as well as psychosocial stresses. Treating patients with a holistic approach is our foremost consideration, and we would be delighted to assist you. Contact us today.
