Hemorrhoid Surgery Specialist

What are hemorrhoids?

All hemorrhoids are swollen veins that occur in the anus and lower rectum. The symptoms you experience are usually characterized by the location of the swollen vein.

Internal hemorrhoids, for instance, occur inside the rectum and may bleed with straining during a bowel movement. Sometimes an internal hemorrhoid is pushed outside of the anal opening, known as a prolapsed hemorrhoid. External hemorrhoids occur under the skin around the anal opening and can cause significant discomfort along with rectal bleeding.

What are the symptoms of a hemorrhoid?

Hemorrhoids can cause rectal pain and bleeding, but there are several other conditions that cause similar symptoms. Only your doctor can determine for sure whether it is hemorrhoids, constipation, or another issue causing your discomfort.

Conditions that may cause symptoms similar to hemorrhoids include:

• A tear or split in the mucosal tissue of the anus (anal fissure)
• A pocket of infection in the rectal area (rectal abscess)
• Rectal fistula or tunnel under the skin that connects one area of infection with another, causing large abscesses to form
• Rectal prolapse, occurring when part of the rectal lining protrudes through the anus
• An area of weakness in the rectal wall that causes it to bulge into the vagina (rectocele)
  
  

The surgeons at Chicago Surgical Clinic are skilled at treating these conditions as well as hemorrhoids. They may, for instance, recommend a ligation of an intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) procedure for an anal fistula.

What surgical treatments are available for hemorrhoids?

Whenever possible, the specialists at Chicago Surgical recommend minimally invasive hemorrhoid treatments, such as band ligation. For this procedure, your surgeon wraps a small “rubber band” around the base of the hemorrhoid, which cuts off blood supply to the vein and causes it to wither and die, usually within two to three days.

Another very successful, minimally invasive procedure used for hemorrhoids is transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD). During THD, your surgeon uses ultrasound guidance to locate the rectal artery feeding the hemorrhoid.

Once located, your surgeon ties off the blood supply, causing the targeted hemorrhoid to shrink and die. The prolapsed tissue is also replaced into its normal anatomic position. Thus, the functionality of the anal sphincter mechanism is greatly improved. THD is often as effective as traditional hemorrhoid surgery (hemorrhoidectomy), with less post-surgical pain and quicker return to normal activities.

You can rely on the surgeons at the top-rated Chicago Surgical Clinic to recommend the most effective treatment available for your hemorrhoids. Schedule an appointment online or by phone today.