Our Cedar Park Surgeons Perform Minimally Invasive Hemorrhoid Surgery
While most cases can be managed with home care, living with the pain and discomfort of severe hemorrhoids is unnecessary with today’s innovative surgical approaches to alleviating the problem. A hemorroidectomy removes troublesome hemorrhoids, and Dr. Alan Abando and Dr. Nicole Basa also provide the latest surgical technique that does not involve cutting.
If you have noticed signs of hemorrhoids, please seek out medical care. Hemorrhoids are not a cause for concern, but the symptoms could indicate other, more serious diseases or conditions. Approximately 50% of Americans in all ages and stages will develop hemorrhoids in their lifetimes. It’s a common complaint, but one that is not always brought to the attention of a physician.
Watch for bright red blood on toilet tissue or in the toilet bowl, itching, pain or noticeable bulging around your anus. These may be signs of hemorrhoids or other abdominal problems.
About Hemorrhoids
A hemorrhoid is a collection of swollen arteries that protrude into the internal or external area of the rectum and anus. When bowel movements or other irritants cause the blood vessels to swell, they can start to feel itchy or painful, or you may notice blood in the toilet or on toilet tissue. The rectum does not have pain sensitivity like the anus, so your only sign of internal hemorrhoids may be bleeding.
Constipation, straining, pregnancy or sitting for long periods of time can worsen symptoms.
A blood clot, called a thrombosis, may form as well on external hemorrhoids, creating more cause for concern and extreme discomfort. Your physician can remove the clotted hemorrhoid surgically. On occasion, a hemorrhoid may prolapse, or drop to appear outside of the anal sphincter as a pink pouch of skin. An external hemorrhoid may also appear like a cluster of grapes.
Your primary physician will have likely inspected the rectum and anus to diagnose hemorrhoids, using a gloved finger or tools such as sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Clinical options to treat hemorrhoids include:
- Ligation involving rubber bands or rings around internal hemorrhoids that cut off the blood supply
- Heat to coagulate hemorrhoids
- Sclerotherapy with a chemical injection
Correcting the Problem with Hemorrhoid Surgery
Our Cedar Park surgeons, Dr. Abando and Dr. Basa, surgically manage both internal hemorrhoids and external hemorrhoids, treating patients with dignity and respect throughout treatment.
For large internal hemorrhoids, we may recommend an alternative to hemorroidectomy called a transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization, or THD.
With THD, our Austin surgeons use a minimally invasive technique, guided by Doppler radar, to locate and tie-off the internal hemorrhoid arteries with a suture that will eventually dissolve. No tissue is removed so recovery is minimal. To recap:
- Traditional surgery excises, or cuts, the tissue and involves two to three weeks of recovery. This is called an excisional hemorroidectomy.
- THD surgery repositions the shifted blood vessels back to a natural symmetry. Normal activities usually resume within four days.
We understand the sensitivity of this condition. Our goal is to provide relief and an actionable plan to eliminate hemorrhoids. Dr. Abando and Dr. Basa perform THD on an outpatient basis in their Cedar Park surgery center. Contact us for a consultation.