Hemorrhoids are normal anatomical structures that contribute to anal continence. There are two hemorrhoidal systems, internal and external, consisting of highly vascularized cushions located in the anal canal.
To be more specific, one should speak of “hemorrhoidal disease” when its abnormality causes symptoms such as:
- Anal itching
- Pain
- Sensation of incomplete evacuation when going to the bathroom.
- Hemorrhage, which may even cause anemia
- Rectal prolapse
- Loss of mucus or anal mucosa
- Difficulty of good anal hygiene
Why hemorrhoids occur
Genetic predisposition, bad hygienic-dietary habits, chronic constipation with increased defecatory effort, as well as chronic diarrhea, are some of the causes of hemorrhoids losing their natural fixation and sliding to prolapse through the anal sphincter ring.
Hemorrhoidal disease can be classified according to the degree of prolapse after defecation: from non-existent, to irreducible, to those that return to their position spontaneously or with the patient’s digital help.
Hemorrhoidectomy: the solution if conservative treatment does not work
Depending on the symptomatology and the degree of prolapse, the specialist in General and Digestive Surgery will indicate the best therapeutic measure for each patient, which can range from a simple education of habits, the application of topical treatments, the administration of decongestive drugs, to surgical intervention.
Surgical intervention should be limited to those cases in which conservative medical treatment has failed. The interventions can be, fundamentally, from the application of elastic bands to hemorrhoidectomy. The symptomatology, size and degree of prolapse, will determine the indication of the most convenient technique to apply in each case.
For all these reasons, the patient suffering from a hemorrhoidal disease should be placed in the hands of a coloproctologist and general surgeon.