Hemorrhoidectomy questions please help if you can

[mrssunshinexxx]

I am booked to have the above in November and I'm really scared about it mainly putting aside the actual embarrassment of it but the after pains and recovery and if I will be unlucky and it will actually be worse.
I don't have any pain now they only flare up when pregnant but when I am it is BAD like horrific and get thrombosed.
I hope to have 1 or 2 more children but the surgeon said getting them done inbetween was a good idea I also worry they will just come back in next pregnancy??

Are you awake or asleep for the surgery?
How bad is the recovery?
Will I be ok looking after my children solo my husband works away but obviously would be around for a few days but he's self employed so the least time the better

Hopeful bump

My adult daughter had this op. She came home from hospital and felt fine she was saying how much better it was compared to what she expected, she struggled a bit in the first few days when pain relief was wearing off but she was being stubborn. She had cream/gel to apply which really helped but she was waiting until pain was bad to use it at first, very frustrating situation. When she spaced out medication and used everything they gave her and had bum baths it was okay, just sore at times. Pain wasn’t as bad as she feared after bowel movements,
I’m not sure regarding looking after children, I think you’d need help for the first week. She was asleep for the procedure, dropped off late morning collected about 9 hours later I think. I’d googled for information before her surgery and she didn’t seem to suffer as much I had expected based on what I had read.

Thanks so much for taking the time @1idea I'm so nervous ! I actually got a letter today about a pre op on Thurs so will be great to ask a nurse lots of questions x

@1idea has she had any issues since

I had to have this done. It’s done under general anaesthetic and the painkillers worked up until I had my first poo. I hate to say it but Jesus fucking Christ it really really hurts. My best advice to you is to get instillagel from the chemist to put on your bum area - it will numb the area and make it more bearable. You won’t get much warning of when you need a poo for the first few days so don’t go out if you can help it you need to stay near a toilet. Use haemorrhoid cream as well and get yourself a sitz bath for after your bowel movements. You’ll be taking movicol to keep yourself regular and to keep your stool soft - you absolutely must do that.

I don’t want to scare you off having it done - I had scary amounts of blood and it was definitely worth having it done to stop that but recovery can take 2-3 weeks - you should feel more normal after a few days. I haven’t got kids but I wouldn’t have been able to do anything for the first few days. I had it a couple of years ago and my issues are completely gone.

Not that she has mentioned. I’ll ask her next time I see her. She has mentioned a few times how glad she was she got them sorted and she does tend to tell me too much information so I think she would have said if they’d returned.

I’m waiting to see a consultant although I’ve had a private consultation already and he’s told me it’s grade 4 so will need a procedure ☹️
I googled this a few weeks back to get a realistic view from many people. I don’t think looking after children in the first week is realistic unless their pretty self sufficient. it seems the surgeons say you’ll bounce back but a month off work and normal duties seems realistic.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/general_health/2232089-Recovering-from-a-haemorrhoidectomy-warning-TMI-alert

Thank you @pennee @1idea
I have - 9 month old and a 2 year old my husband is self employed works away M-F and no family support so maybe I shouldn't be getting this done he will be able to get a few days off but a month is a no go.

@ChuckItBucket see this is where I'm not sure if I should do it becayse I have no pain at all now it's when I get pregnant the whole
Pregnancy I have the most painful flare ups they are horrific and get thrombosed urgh!! But I haven't finished having kids so I need to ask the nurse on Thurs at my pre op if I should get it done now or wait

It’s certainly what’s putting me off because even a bad flare is a fortnight maximum. It’s torture either way 😢

Sorry I can’t avert your questions.

I’ve been waiting for this surgery for 9 months now. I still haven’t got a surgery date. Would you mind my asking how long you have waited?

Answer*

I spoke to a surgeon about this about 5 years ago. His advice was to be sure I wanted it done as recovery can be painful, especially the first week, and he also suggested that I wouldn’t be able to do much with the kids for 2-3 weeks. Ultimately I opted to wait until they are bigger. I think recovery is very linked to rest for a procedure like this

I had this op when I was 34 weeks pregnant with my twins. Yes, that's as horrible as it probably sounds but I had grade 4 thrombosed haemorrhoids and could barely walk, the surgeon said I needed it done asap.

First of all, I believe there's various types of haemorrhoid surgery and some (eg banding?) are less painful. I had the full on surgical removal and I'll be honest that the recovery was agony. I've never been in so much pain. I needed Tramadol to sleep for several nights, and I was weeping after every bowel movement for days. A sitz bath wasn't enough, I had to run a hot bath and plunge straight in after I'd been. I couldn't have coped with small kids alone, no way, not for at least a fortnight.

The pain was bearable after about 2 weeks, by the time I had my C-section (which was an absolute stroll in the park by comparison!) but I was on laxatives for about 6-8 weeks and I'd say it took 3-6 months to feel properly recovered. I am NOT planning any more kids so I can't say if pregnancy would cause a return;
I've not had any more problems 2.5 years on.

Re the surgery itself, I had a spinal anaesthetic so I was awake for it. The worst part was when it wore off; they gave me strong painkillers in hospital (even opioids which I didn't like at all tbh) and I stayed in 2 nights in the end. Was on painkillers for weeks too. It's not for the faint-hearted.

I would definitely ask at pre-op what kind of surgery they plan to do. If you google, you'll find there's 3-4 types. This is a good summary: www.healthline.com/health/hemorrhoid-surgery

Overall I don't regret having it done (I had no choice really) but I wish I'd had a better idea what I was in for. It's the most pain I've ever experienced.

I think a week would be more realistic to need your husband to be there 100% of the time. I did have a couple of weeks off but I’ve got a desk job and sitting was painful. My main issue was suddenly feeling the need for the toilet and having to drop everything and run, then dealing with the pain afterwards took some time. Probably best to have a chat with the nurse

@Pleasecouldihavesomeadvice similar time frame as my baby is just over 9months old and when I was heavily pregnant that's when I had my first consultation

Thanks @ChuckItBucket definitely going to ask a lot of questions on Thurs

@lifesnotaspectatorsport thank you for your honest review this is clear to my I can't have it done at this time as my husband can't be off for that long and I do have young babies / toddlers that I would be alone for

I've been for a consultation for double external hem removal, I've yet to pluck up the courage to book it though! Regarding them returning, the Surgeon said that they would not return in the same place.

Were they caused by constipation while pregnant, in which case you could do your best to prevent that and take stool softeners etc, or was it just the pressure of the baby or the birth - in which case you can't really do anything about that.

I mean, do you really want to risk them flaring up during your whole pregnancy and possibly requiring a surgery/procedure while pregnant?

@Miiaaoow hey they said they would not operate whilst pregnant they wouldn't want to put me under anaesthetic. I had my pre op this morn she said that it was skin tags written down for removal but I know for sure there are haemorrhoids too as when pregnant one got thrombosed and went fucking massive.
My diet definitely coul of been better but it's hard to eat well when you feel so nauseous 24/7 😞 I do think it was just a general being pregnant heavy babies head pressing down but I will be having an elective next time

Reading this I think me and my piles might just declare a truce
If they don’t bother me too much I won’t get them removed

@mumwholovesabum sorry what now ? I thought we get out to sleep for it all

Best thing I ever had done. Mine was as an emergency. General anaesthetic, a bit of pain after but nothing unbearable, was infinitely better than before. Don’t dread it, look forward to it.

Thanks @Yesthatismychildsigh did you have any help after if you had children x

This is a jolly, positive thread, so I’m here to say it was the most hideously painful experience of my life. And surgeons lie “you may have 2 -3 weeks of some discomfort”, translated meant weeks of agony every time there was a bowel movement.

I like to think I am no wimp; 4 c-sections, 3 in 3 years, back to work within weeks etc, but I ended up with, what at the time, I thought were agonising piles. Well I had no idea what pain was til I’d had my hemorroidectomy. It was fine for the first couple of days, then as the anaesthetic wore of, each poo meant hours of spasms, and this carried on for ages. I had eight weeks off work, but could really have done with 12, and for months my poos were the diameter of a small dog’s.

One problem I think is that generally when you have an operation you rest that area/limb til it’s healed. With this you can’t so recovery takes much longer.

I did manage, but my children were older, youngest about seven or so at the time. I really wouldn’t have liked it with a baby and toddler.

This was around 13 years ago, so things may have improved, but do be prepared for appalling pain.

But, I have been pile free ever since. So it did work.