Heamorrhoidectomy

[Onesqueakywheel]

Hello. Has anyone had one of these? My consultant is advising one but says its ' a beauty' so I assume he means bloody big. He also says I could be in considerable pain and off work for up to a month. Eeeek. As a wuss I am dithering. How much pain and how long?
Any thoughts and advice will be appreciated.

[iwantgin]

Not a haemorrhoidectomy -but I have had the 'leftovers' removed. Ihad bad problems with my bottom last summer- a very bad fissure and a lot of piles. The piles resolved, but left me with a good number of large anal skin tags. I managed to 'cure' the fissure by serious fruit and water intake..

Anyway i had the operation toremove these tags - they were mostly pea sized, one was larger than that. The recovery for days 3-6 was really quite painful. I suppose this was the worst period, as the stitches were tightening, and all the skin healing- and contracting the muscles on my anus at the same time.

It was definitely worth it though - a few days of pain, then done. I was back to normal life by the end of week 2 - even running.

I think your procedure will be different - although there are a couple of different methods used. if it is troubling you then get it fixed - it won't go away on its own.

Try searching for old threads on here - there are loads.

[grimbletart]

I had it many years ago for really grossly bad haemorrhoids - too bad for any other type of treatment.

Personally I found it no big deal. Yes, it's painful, especially a few days after when the stitches are really tightening, and the first bowel motion is to say the least eye-watering, but set against the misery of large (think small egg sized thrombosed leaking and bleeding piles - sorry TMI) I would rather have had the op ten times over and was cross with myself that I had waited so long before having it done.

One tip though - they give you a laxative to help with the first bowel movement, but I didn't find it enough and brought in my own as well!

I was in hospital 10 days, but I suspect they kick you out sooner these days. Can't remember how long I was off work but I think it was about a month.

The op was nearly 30 years ago and I've not had any trouble since.

Good luck.

[Onesqueakywheel]

Thank you. That helps. I actually have a very large skin tag rather than haemorrhoids so that's really helpful Gin. Feel a bit better now. I will stock up on laxatives??

[iwantgin]

I thought I had posted a further reply to this, but looks like I didn't..

Anyway - so the surgeon removed, I think, 3 large tags which all had stitches. However she left behind a couple of smaller ones, which at my post op check up the nurse agreed should be removed too. So i went through the procedure again - this time it was much easier. There weren't any stitches - so no tugging as they tightened. I was only able to loaf around at home for a day or so - as i really wasn't in much pain at all. In fact i remember going for a run just a week later. So that was totally different.

Laxatives are your friend. and lots of fruit and water. If offered codeine based painkillers remember that these do not make for a loose stool so be aware of that.

[lilli30101968]

myself been thinking to have them removed but Dostor suggested not too becaus emight come back the good is i dont bleed but very painful when I am constipated I am a bit scared . My mum regret doing it when she was young so I am concerned .

[Groovee]

I had a very large skin tag removed in 2011. It was painful directly after and if they give you laxatives, take them! I ended up constipated and didn't move for 4 days post surgery by which point I was nearly passing out with the pain.

It took about 4 weeks for the pain to go away but it healed well.

[Bunbaker]

I had the op 7 years ago and it was nothing like as bad as any described on here. I stayed in for one night and took paracetamol for about a week afterwards, plus lactulose to soften the stools.

I wasn't off work for very long, but couldn't go back while I was still taking the lactulose - for obvious reasons.

I then developed a D & V bug just before I went back to work.

[Backto505]

I had one. As day surgery. It was agonizingly painful. Truly awful. I had 6 weeks off work and needed it

And the barstards came back

[EatTheRude]

It was nothing compared with the pain of the actual piles. Best operation I ever had.

[Onesqueakywheel]

I'm more confused than ever now lol. It's actually a large skin tag with a secondary. It doesn't hurt at all so I'm thinking I will leave it. It's the consultant who wants to remove them. I really can't take four - six weeks off work either.

[carlsonrichards]

I would have it with the HALO method, but so far that's only private so I put up with mine (internal and external, often bleed and hurt).

[Groovee]

I only had 2 weeks off work.

[iwantgin]

OP - the op for a full haemorrhoidectomy is quite different to what you would need.

I don't work, but if I did I would say that I would have been back after about 10 days.

For me, the first few days were bad - pulling on stitches, lack of sleep didn't help as the pain seemed to be worse at night. But as I said after the first week I was pretty much okay.

Mine weren't terribly uncomfortable- but I was under the gastro team due to bleeding, which was due to a large fissue. They were quite happy to get me in and sort out my extra bits. It's also a bit easier to keep clean if there aren't superfluous bits of skin down there. iykwim.