What Should I Expect from Hemorrhoid Surgery Recovery?

There are several types of hemorrhoid surgery, and what type is performed is often a decision made between doctor and patient. Such decisions may involve consideration of type of hemorrhoids present, and whether care is urgently needed. How long hemorrhoid surgery recovery takes may also be taken into account, making it useful to know what it will involve. Recovery will vary depending on the procedure performed.

A number of hemorrhoid removal techniques are not technically surgery. These include using laser, radiofrequency, or chemical injections to destroy hemorrhoids. These procedures may be done in a medical professional’s office, and usually people go right home after them. Usually, these treatments have minimal effect and recovery time is short. Talking with a healthcare provider about any expected side effects still makes sense, however.

A mid-way procedure between destroying tissue and surgery is rubber band ligation. This might take place in a doctor’s office or a local outpatient surgery center. Recovery from banding often includes some discomfort, and local anesthetic is typically used to reduce this slightly.

If patients continue to feel uncomfortable, they might use ice packs at home for a few days or take an over-the-counter pain reliever as prescribed. It’s also important for them to eat a diet that is fiber rich, since less discomfort may be felt if stools are soft. Medical professionals usually have guidelines they give patients.

True hemorrhoid surgery comes in two forms: hemorrhoidectomy and hemorrhoidopexy. In hemorrhoidectomy, a surgeon uses a scalpel, or possibly a laser scalpel, to remove hemorrhoid tissue. This normally takes place at a hospital, and recovery begins with at least an overnight stay. In the following days, focus shifts to making sure the patient's diet will help keep bowels soft and that adequate pain relief is offered.

Pain treatment during hemorrhoid surgery recovery is a slippery slope because most opiate pain medications create constipation. Suggested methods to relieve pain lean toward over-the-counter medications, sitz baths, and icing, which all can actually be quite effective. Total recovery time is between one and two weeks, and most people leave the hospital within two to three days after the surgery.

Hemorrhoidopexy uses staples to push hemorrhoids back into the surrounding tissue. In many circumstances, this surgery is outpatient and done under twilight sleep and local anesthesia. An analysis of pain experiences afterwards suggests that while people are in recovery from stapling, they will need more pain management than they would for banding. Total recovery tends to take at least a week, and, again, attention to pain relief strategies and diet or fiber supplements to keep stool soft are important.

With either of the two major surgery forms, it is possible antibiotics will be required to prevent infection during recovery. People may also be encouraged to drink plenty of fluids because this is useful in softening stool. Medical professionals may or may not recommend taking laxatives for a few days after surgery, too.