Hemorrhoidectomy for Hemorrhoids

The success of hemorrhoidectomy depends a lot on your ability to make changes in your daily bowel habits to make passing stools easier. Hemorrhoidectomy may provide better long-term results than procedures that cut off blood flow to hemorrhoids (fixative procedures). But surgery is more costly, has a greater risk of complications, and usually is more painful.

Most internal hemorrhoids improve (they get smaller and discomfort decreases) with either home treatment or fixative procedures. When compared with surgery, fixative procedures involve less risk, are less painful, and require less time away from work and other activities.

Surgery is not recommended for small internal hemorrhoids (unless you also have large internal hemorrhoids or internal and external hemorrhoids).

Lasers are often advertised as being a less painful, faster-healing method of removing hemorrhoids. But none of these claims have been proved. Lasers are more expensive than traditional techniques. The procedure takes longer, and it may cause deep tissue injury.

Complete the surgery information form (PDF) (What is a Reference PDF Opens New Window document?) to help you prepare for this surgery.

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