Sclerotherapy is a medical practice that is often used to take care of people who are suffering from hemorrhoids. This treatment uses a chemical solution that will cause scarring of the tissues and as a result cut off the blood supply to the hemorrhoid.
The sclerotherapy procedure is done by the doctor injecting a sclerosing agent inside the vein that can be found in a hemorrhoid. This chemical solution and then makes the vein to become hard and the tissue of the hemorrhoid will eventually die. After this a scar will usually form in the place where the hemorrhoid was located. Thick and hard scar tissue holds nearby veins and tissue in position so they don’t protrude into the anal canal.
The procedure is very quick and can be done in 15-30 minutes. This is often done in a medical practitioner’s office.
What Patients Should Expect After Hemorrhoid Treatment With Sclerotherapy
Generally after having this procedure done, people should expect to see bleeding around the anus a week after having the injections. This will be attributed to the hemorrhoid falling off. The bleeding is often light and it will eventually stop by itself.
To ensure smooth bowel movements, it is recommended that people take stool softeners. Excessive straining during bowel movements can cause hemorrhoids to recur.
To relieve discomfort, it is recommended to use pain relievers and also sit down in a warm tub of water.
To cut down the possibility of bleeding, patients who had the surgery done should avoid taking nonsteroidal a type of anti-inflammatory drugs. This should be done 5 days before and after sclerotherapy has been performed.
Why Is Sclerotherapy Done to Remove Hemorrhoids
Injection sclerotherapy is used to treat hemorrhoids if people are experiencing excessive bleeding from them. This procedure may also be done if the hemorrhoids that can be found internally are often too little to be treated with litigation using a rubber band. This is done also if home treatment does not improve small hemorrhoids. If you are older than the age of 70 or not very healthy, then you probably are not going to be an ideal candidate for invasive surgery.
Does Sclerotherapy to Treat Hemorrhoids Work
For people who have small hemorrhoids, the sclerotherapy procedure will relieve symptoms at the same success rate as rubber band ligation. It should be noted that when it comes to large hemorrhoids, sclerotherapy is not as effective as ligation.
The success of injection sclerotherapy will largely depend on the expertise of the doctor that is doing the procedure. It is important for patients to ask their doctor detailed information about their competence and doing this procedure
If hemorrhoids recur, injection sclerotherapy can be repeated, or another nonsurgical treatment can be tried.
Sclerotherapy Risks
Unusual complications are:
- An uncomfortable and fiery feeling if the injection is done too close to the anus. The reason for this is that is where the location of the pain sensitive nerve endings.
- Bleeding
- Peeling of the rectal lining, this can result in an open lesion.
- Allergic reaction to the sclerosing solution.
- Infection of the anal region.
- Incapability in controlling the bladder or bowels
- In men, the contamination of the prostate gland.
Many people who are considering having the sclerotherapy procedure done, often want to know if their health insurance will cover it.