Who is a candidate for haemorrhoid surgery?

• To be a candidate for an operation for haemorrhoids it is essential to suffer from this pathology and that a Specialist in General Surgery and the Digestive System indicates it.
• Not all haemorrhoids are indicated for surgery, as the mildest ones can be alleviated and even solved with changes in lifestyle and eating habits.
• There is no age limit for haemorrhoid surgery, but it is very unusual for serious haemorrhoids to occur in children or adolescents.

Haemorrhoids are not a fatal pathology in any case, but they are one of the most annoying medical problems there are, as they regularly cause discomfort and discomfort almost all day long, whether standing or sitting.

Similarly, it is curious to know that practically all of us will suffer some episode of haemorrhoids, to a greater or lesser extent, throughout our lives. That is why to avoid what are commonly known as piles, the best thing to do is to lead an active life, eat a balanced diet rich in fibre, drink plenty of water and, above all, avoid a sedentary lifestyle at all costs.

Despite this, haemorrhoid surgery is one of the most frequently performed operations in general and probably the first or second most frequently performed in the private sector.

In this article, we will explain the different points to take into account when determining whether a patient is a candidate for haemorrhoid surgery and the factors that may cause the operation to be contraindicated.

The main reason for a person to be a candidate for haemorrhoid surgery is if they are suffering from a severe case of haemorrhoids, as stages 1 and 2 are treatable with drugs or changes in lifestyle. To make it easier to understand, here are the 4 degrees of haemorrhoids:

• Grade 1 haemorrhoids (piles): Grade 1 haemorrhoids are those that do not come out during bowel movements but cause discomfort.
• Grade 2 haemorrhoids: These are haemorrhoids that come out during bowel movements but spontaneously return to the inside of the anal canal.
• Grade 3 haemorrhoids: These are haemorrhoids that prolapse during defecation but do not return to their original area spontaneously. The patient must manually reintroduce them with the help of toilet paper. This type of haemorrhoid is indicated for surgery.
• Grade 4 haemorrhoids: In this case, the haemorrhoids protrude outwards and cannot be manually pushed back in again, which causes major daily discomfort. This type of haemorrhoid is also indicated for surgery.

Any patient who suffers from grade 3 or 4 haemorrhoids and wants to put an end to the discomfort is a candidate for haemorrhoid surgery (removal).

There is no age limit for haemorrhoid surgery, but, for example, it is very rare for babies, children or adolescents, up to the age of 17 or 18 or so, to suffer from severe haemorrhoids requiring surgery. Mild irritation of the haemorrhoidal plexus due to repeated spicy foods or an unbalanced diet is possible.

In adults, on the other hand, haemorrhoid surgery has no age-related contraindications. Men and women in their 20s and 60s can be operated on without any problem.

Haemorrhoid surgery is a fairly quick operation. As it is a very common surgery, all specialists in General and Digestive System Surgery are very used to carrying it out, so the risks and the possibility of complications are practically nil.

The most important thing when facing a haemorrhoid operation is not so much the surgical technique as that the specialist doctor who performs it has experience in performing it.

Nevertheless, there are some factors that may contraindicate haemorrhoid surgery. Although they can occur at any age, they are more common in older adults.

In the case of older patients, meaning older adults who are over 70 years of age, there is no problem in carrying out the intervention as long as the patient does not have associated medical problems that could make the surgery risky or could cause complications.

These types of cases must be carefully reviewed by the surgeon to determine whether or not the surgery is feasible.

The most positive aspect in these cases is that if surgery is feasible, the solution to the problem of haemorrhoids provides patients with a considerable improvement in their quality of life, as the discomfort of this type of problem in older patients causes many restrictions.

Associated problems include diabetes, taking Synthrom or other blood thinning drugs, respiratory problems, heart problems, etc. Any of these or other problems should be brought to the attention of a specialist for assessment.

At Operarme we perform haemorrhoid surgery with both laser and conventional surgery, both of which are effective, with the only difference being that with laser the recovery is slightly faster.

Remember that you can request an immediate and free surgical assessment consultation with one of our specialists to get to know you and your case, by clicking below: