Treatment Overview
Rubber band ligation is a procedure in which
the hemorrhoid is tied off at its base with rubber bands, cutting off the blood
flow to the hemorrhoid.
To perform the procedure, a doctor inserts
a viewing instrument (anoscope) into the anus. The hemorrhoid is grasped with
an instrument, and a device places a rubber band around the base of the
hemorrhoid. The hemorrhoid then shrinks and dies and, in about a week, falls
off.
A scar will form in place of the hemorrhoid, holding nearby
veins so they don't bulge into the anal canal.
The procedure is
done in a doctor's office. You will be asked whether the rubber bands feel too
tight. If the bands are extremely painful, a medicine may be injected into the
banded hemorrhoids to numb them.
After the procedure, you may feel
pain and have a sensation of fullness in the lower abdomen. Or you may feel as
if you need to have a bowel movement.
Treatment is limited to 1 to
2 hemorrhoids at a time if done in the doctor's office. Several hemorrhoids may
be treated at one time if the person has general anesthesia. Additional areas may
be treated at 4- to 6-week intervals.
What To Expect After Treatment
People respond differently to this
procedure. Some are able to return to regular activities (but avoid heavy
lifting) almost immediately. Others may need 2 to 3 days of bed rest.
- Pain is likely for 24 to 48 hours after rubber
band ligation. You may use acetaminophen (for example, Tylenol) and sit in a
shallow tub of warm water (sitz bath) for 15 minutes at a time to relieve
discomfort.
- To reduce the risk of bleeding, avoid taking aspirin
and other
for 4 to
5 days both before and after rubber band ligation.
- Bleeding may
occur 7 to 10 days after surgery, when the hemorrhoid falls off. Bleeding is
usually slight and stops by itself.
Doctors recommend that you take stool
softeners containing fiber and drink more fluids to ensure smooth bowel
movements. Straining during bowel movements can cause hemorrhoids to come
back.
Why It Is Done
Rubber band ligation is the most
widely used treatment for internal hemorrhoids. If symptoms persist after three
or four treatments, surgery may be considered.
Rubber band
ligation cannot be used if there is not enough tissue to pull into the banding
device. This procedure is almost never appropriate for
.