Approximately half of all Americans experience hemorrhoids in their lifetimes. Hemorrhoids will usually go away on their own, or with conservative approaches such as diet changes, topical treatments, medications or supplements. But if they persist, they can cause bleeding, itching and painful bowel movements.
The potential complications of hemorrhoids can include a burst hemorrhoid, prolapsed hemorrhoid, blood clots, infection, anemia and perianal thrombosis.
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins inside the lower rectum or under the skin around the anus. Similar in nature to varicose veins, they most often are diagnosed in adults 45 and 65 years old. They are thought to be caused by an increase in pressure in the lower rectum, and are linked to the following lifestyle factors and health conditions:
Changes in diet, hemorrhoid creams, sitz baths and pain medication (such as Tylenol and Advil) are considered “conservative” treatments for hemorrhoids. If the symptoms do not go away, the condition becomes known as chronic hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoidectomy is a surgical procedure to remove chronic hemorrhoids. However, this approach has risks and complications can include infection, bleeding, difficulty emptying the bladder, rectal prolapse and more. In addition, it can be as long as 3-6 weeks before a full recovery.
A new and minimally invasive option to treat hemorrhoids, and performed by NG Vascular, is called hemorrhoidal artery embolization (HAE). We recommended this treatment for patients with grade 1 to 3 internal hemorrhoids who have not responded to conservative treatment.