When to resume sexual relations after haemorrhoid surgery?
- Haemorrhoids are a common problem that requires an operation as a treatment to be permanently cured.
- After haemorrhoid surgery, a minimum period of time must be observed before sexual intercourse.
- It is important to have a good postoperative period to avoid the appearance of lesions, such as anal fissure.
What are haemorrhoids?
Haemorrhoids is the name given to dilations of the veins and arteries that reside inside the anal canal, which runs from the anus to the end of the digestive tract.
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This problem is suffered by a large percentage of the population, around 75%. However, the discomfort is caused by acute hemorrhoidal crisis, which occurs when the dilation of these veins causes them to bulge outwards from the inside of the anal canal, becoming trapped by the internal sphincter of the anus.
This type of crisis can occur several times during a person's life, as if the piles are not excessively large, they can return with manual traction to the inside of the anal canal.
However, if a person suffers several crises, the definitive solution to put an end to this problem is surgery. In this article we discuss when to resume sexual relations after such surgery.
Treatments for haemorrhoids
Haemorrhoid surgery is usually intended for cases where the dilated veins cannot be pushed back into the anus either on their own or with manual traction due to their size.
The two main surgical procedures used to eradicate haemorrhoids permanently are open haemorrhoidectomy and closed haemorrhoidectomy. In both cases it is an operation that does not last more than 60 minutes (although it depends a lot on the experience of the surgeon).
The procedure involves the introduction of the surgical material necessary for the removal of the haemorrhoid through the previously dilated anus.
In open haemorrhoidectomy, the resulting internal wound is not sutured, and in closed haemorrhoidectomy, it is.
The results of these operations are virtually the same, and there are usually no complications.
In addition to surgical interventions, there are other therapeutic alternatives to try to reduce the size of the haemorrhoid, although they do not have the same success rate as surgery, nor do they guarantee permanent eradication of the problem.
The most popular alternative to surgery is the ligation of piles using elastic bands to prevent them from passing through the anal sphincter.
When to resume intimate relationships?
Following any of the above options, the patient will need a few days of rest for proper healing. It is common for the patient to experience pain in the days following haemorrhoidectomies, although this can be alleviated with painkillers.
There is also usually some slight bleeding the day after the operation, which should not alarm the patient as long as the amount of bleeding is not excessive.
Generally, after three days, the patient can resume normal life. However, one of the most unknown questions is when to resume sexual intercourse after suffering from haemorrhoids.
As far as vaginal intercourse is concerned, there is no fixed period of time that must be observed before intercourse can be resumed.
The period of abstinence depends exclusively on the discomfort experienced by the patient after the operation and, depending on how the patient feels, he/she can resume vaginal intercourse when he/she deems appropriate.
However, when it comes to anal intercourse, we must not forget that the operation produces an internal wound that can reopen with premature friction, and even cause an anal fissure that can be quite painful and lead to the need for the patient to undergo surgery again.
To prevent this from happening, it is advisable for the patient to abstain from anal intercourse for at least a month and a half after the operation.
It is essential that the wounds have healed properly before resuming intercourse, so that the skin can regain its elasticity without the danger of the wound opening. It should be noted that the dilation of the anus may be less than it was before the operation, so the first time you have anal sex after surgery, it is advisable to take your time and proceed slowly, without forcing and with good lubrication.
As for the procedure after ligation of the haemorrhoids with elastic bands, vaginal intercourse can also be resumed without a fixed time limit, while for anal sex, the recommended waiting time is somewhat shorter; after two weeks, intercourse can be resumed, but again with care and with the correct lubrication.
Do you need haemorrhoids surgery?
Request a free and immediate appointment with our specialists in general surgery
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