Piles or Haemorrhoids - Nip the Pain in the Butt

Piles or haemorrhoids affect as many as one in two persons in their lifetime. These range from small first degree piles to troublesome prolapsed piles.

Many methods have been developed to treat bleeding piles. However, recurrence rates remain high. The current Gold Standard is stapler haemorrhoidectomy. Although it is quick to perform and virtually painless, it remains an expensive procedure – costing around S$5,000.

There are also side effects. Some patients experience a sense of urgency and incomplete emptying up to six months following stapler haemorrhoidectomy.

A new and improved procedure is ligasure haemorrhoidectomy. The ligasure method fuses vessels together to form a seal.

Using the same principle as traditional haemorrhoidectomy, piles are isolated and the feeding vessels are identifi ed. The ligasure vessel sealing device is then applied across these vessels and these are sealed. The ligasure device can seal vessels up to 7 mm in diameter. This ensures that bleeding is stopped completely and there is no blood loss.

The ligasure device has been widely used in the fi eld of hepato-biliary surgery and laparoscopic surgery. It has just been employed in the treatment of piles. Studies have shown that it is benefi cial for haemorrhoidectomy.

Ligasure haemorrhoidectomy takes less than 15 minutes to perform. There is hardly any blood loss and no open wounds. It is also cheaper than stapler haemorrhoidectomy, costing 10% less than stapler haemorrhoidectomy.

Ligasure haemorrhoidectomy is ideal for patients who have put off piles surgery for fear of pain and costs. It is a suitable alternative for many patients who find stapler haemorrhoidectomy too expensive.

With the enhanced comfort, more patients fi nd this operation superior to other methods of haemorrhoidectomy. This coupled with reduction of cost translates into an increased compliance with haemorrhoidectomy.

Advantages of Ligasure Haemorrhoidectomy

- Day surgery procedure
- Fast (less than 15 minutes)
- No blood loss
- No additional haemostasis or stitching required
- Minimal pain
- Quick recovery (less than two weeks)
- No wounds to dress
- No collateral damage to surrounding structures
- Reduces recurrence
- No post op bleeding
- Cheaper than stapler haemorrhoidectomy
- No post operative complications e.g. urgency and incomplete emptying

View Article As Advertise in Borneo Bulletin 11/01/2008