Rafaelo Procedure haemorrhoids

[Tanni370000]

I had the Rafaelo procedure on Monday to remove 3 haemorrhoids. From the reviews online I read this shouldn’t be too painful but I am in agony with it. Every bowl movement is torture, even when taking two laxatives. Has anyone experienced this? When did you feel better again? TIA!

Jben4176 Hi I’m sorry you are still suffering if you are thinking of having Rafaelo you could do careful research with surgeons and see if you can speak to several people who have had success with it as they keep telling us it is so successful!
Thats interesting about the food intolerance test did you have them done on the NHS or did you have to pay? It’s something I have been thinking of having.
My GP has done some stool tests as I have been waking at 4am with cramps and going to the loo several times so I am hoping if he can solve the problem in my gut it should help my bum if I’m not going to the loo so often. I tend to think it could be because I am anxious about the pain after a BM and that could be causing the cramps. Like everyone I’m just fed up and want my happy life back so here’s hoping!x

Hi I paid privately £140 witch was well worth it I am intolerant to quit a few foods including peas oranges wheat gluten and barley. I was tested positive for something in my gut also called h pylori if you look it up online you can ask your doctors to test you for that for free I had lots of the symptoms and was giving loads of antibiotics to get rid of it. Iam
goimh to stick Back to my diet of cutting these foods out as it made a big difference. I would reck you ask the doctors to
test you for that h pylori I will try and attach the link xx

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/h-pylori/symptoms-causes/syc-20356171

Jben4176 I will get the food intolerance tests done as anything is worth trying. Thanks for the link I have heard of h pylori so will ask my GP. I am seeing a new doctor who seems to be very thorough and not writing me off as a nutcase! I’m sure a lot of them think the pain is imaginary I just wish they could have it for a week or two! I do hope your diet helps and who knows in the future we could be pain free & meet up for a meal! Here’s hoping.x

🥰keep us updated xx

Hi Jben4176 so I am still getting burning pain after BM although sometimes it can just start at random times for no apparent reason. I am sure it is to do with the nerves in that area as I also get agonising burning pain in my vulva and one seems to set the other off. I am so tired of it and how badly it affects my life as it is so difficult to talk about and everyone tells me how well I look when I’m suffering terrible pain! I’m seeing my GP next week and will see what he can do or I am going to see a Colorectal specialist privately and see if he can stop the pain. How are you doing?x

Jben4176 forgot to say the food intolerance tests came back negative which is good although they didn’t mention garlic which I do have intolerance to!

Hi, I am new to this thread and due to be having the Rafaelo procedure (for grade 3 haemorrhoids) in March. So sorry to hear some of you have been in a lot of pain for months afterwards, I am now very nervous about having it done. Are there any success stories out there? Anyone who has had it done recently and not in a lot of pain afterwards? I hope the pain has finally settled down for those of you who were suffering. Thanks.

Hi Tulip50 I had Rafaelo at The Spire Leeds in July 2022 I expect you have read my posts and unfortunately 18 months on I still suffer burning pain after a BM. I have seen several consultants and spent literally thousands on nerve blocks and products but nothing helps.
I recently attended a pain clinic who believe some nerve damage has occurred which has fired off my nervous system to cause localised pain and pain all over my body.
I recently spoke to Rafaelo who tell me surgeons buy the equipment have a day training two supervised procedures and are then on their own so I believe my surgeon was possibly not experienced when he did my procedure.
I have said all along I do not want to blame anyone I just want the excruciating burning to stop as it is so debilitating and my quality of life is nil. Unfortunately the surgeon doesn’t want to know and just says the operation was successful.
My advice would be check out your surgeon ask how many procedures he has done and if you can speak to someone who is happy with the results.
Personally I wish I had never had it done and had persevered with otc remedies.
Good luck!

Thanks for replying Bonny, so sorry to hear you're still suffering and nothing is helping, that's lousy. I must admit I am very apprehensive about it especially as it's a trial at my local NHS hospital so I am literally one of the first 4 to have it done (maybe I will be lucky and have one of the "supervised procedures"). I feel I have no choice though (other than to pay privately but it's such a lot of money and not guaranteed to work) as mine are really bad and bleed all the time, OTC remedies don't help so it's either this or surgery which I have heard is horrendous. I hope you find some way of relieving your pain and feel better soon.

Hi I was due for the same procedure and cancled after reading the reviews on here I carried on using the natural h hemroid oil and they have more or less gone after using 3 bottles of the stuff I have little flare ups from time to time where I will use a suppository but then everything settled down I am glad changed my mind of the procedure now please keep us updated

Wow, just been reading some of these posts and realise this is definitely not the first port of call for a review on the aforementioned procedures.
Has anyone actually had a positive experience?

I have had several banding procedures done over the years which has helped immensely. Creams help alleviate symptoms but are not a cure, and I am sceptical about this oil treatment mentioned on here, especially when you are talking about grade 3 haemorrhoids. The results are probably due to the lifestyle changes made.
I would highly recommend banding though, as this minimally invasive and can be repeated as and when. It is also not expensive if you self pay. The NHS does not place a high importance on piles anymore.

Hi, just a quick update in case it is helpful to anyone. I had Rafaelo in March for grade 3 haemorrhoids that used to bleed a lot and my experience has been positive (after one attempt at banding that didn't work at all). Recovery was a lot worse than they make it out to be, first 10-14 days were very painful, after that it was more bearable but still couldn't do a lot of physical exercise, full recovery took 5-6 weeks. I would say definitely worth it though, as it seems to have fixed the problem, am just left with skin tags which are a bit itchy and annoying but so much better than the prolapsing, bleeding, sometimes painful haemorrhoids. I am not sure how the recovery compares to a haemorrhoidectomy (I hope never to find out!) but overall I am glad I had it done.

I’m so glad you are ok I am 18 months after Rafaelo and daily pain which after several consultants and lotions creams etc they say is down to nerve damage at the operation or just bad luck my nerves reacted badly to the procedure as there are so many nerves there.
I have tried Nortriptyline which made me faint and Gabapentin which gave me banging headaches. The Nortriptyline did help with the burning pain but the constant feeling faint is no good. I am now taking a straight by pain killer Shortec which helps so hoping to be pain free soon. I am having a nerve block on the 28th which isn’t guaranteed but definitely worth a try.

It should say strong not straight!

Hello, just wondering if you had your procedure and how it went for you?

t

It is now three years since I had Rafaelo and I have not had a pain free day apart from 5 odd days here and there. Two months ago I had worse pain in a different area and was sent to UTC at hospital where they found a small fissure just on the edge of the anus. Gave me yellow Vaseline which seemed to help . I had made an appointment with CRS so attended it he did a rectal examination and pressed on the very painful area. He said I may have a fissure inside but would need GA examination to be sure. Prescribed Diltiazem which burned so now using GTN caster oil amoils fissure treatment coconut oil. No bleeding but excruciating pain after bm. I am waiting for a call today from the Pain Management team who are looking at an epidural. Anyone else had this? I have researched it as was very worried but apparently it can help heal the fissure so I may go ahead. I am wondering if Rafaelo left a very painful area and it is not in fact a fissure. I just want this pain to stop it’s into three years now and is so debilitating.