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The NIH’s Recommended Treatments for Hemorrhoids

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The Los Angeles Proctology Institute is the leading center for treating hemorrhoids in Los Angeles. Staying at the head of the pack in this area requires experience and vigilance, which is why we occasionally publish posts such as this one about the latest developments in the field.

The NIH recently revised their own definitions and treatments for hemorrhoids, highlighting some of the selfsame treatments we have been strongly advocating for years. These include rubber band ligation or banding, sclerotherapy, and infrared coagulation, which the NIH defines as follows:

A doctor uses a tool that directs infrared light at an internal hemorrhoid. Heat created by the infrared light causes scar tissue to form, which cuts off the blood supply, often shrinking the hemorrhoid.

We treat internal hemorrhoids, external hemorrhoids, prolapsed hemorrhoids, and a variety of unusual cases which prove too difficult for other doctors to tackle.

For the very best hemorrhoid doctors in Los Angeles, reach out to the best. Call the Proctology Institute today.

What’s Rubber Band Ligation (Banding) For Hemorrhoids?

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Treating hemorrhoids with the help of a doctor is generally considered Step 2 if your home remedies for hemorrhoids treatment fail to work.

If you have external or prolapsed hemorrhoids, then you know that the pain they cause can be agonizing.

The most common treatment for hemorrhoids is known as rubber band ligation (RBL), also known simply as banding. The principle behind banding is simple: your hemorrhoid doctor applies very small rubber bands to the base of each hemorrhoid, essentially “starving” it of blood to accelerate the process of shrinking and eventually falling off.

One of the advantages of banding is that the small amount of scar tissue that forms can help to prevent future outbreaks of hemorrhoids, as this article describes:

A scar will form in place of the hemorrhoid, holding nearby veins so they don’t bulge into the anal canal.

Hemorrhoid banding is highly effective for most people, but the procedure can occasionally lead to pain and bleeding in the days that follow. Our hemorrhoid doctor scan mitigate these factors with solid preparation and aftercare. Contact the Los Angeles hemorrhoid banding doctors today.

What’s the Best Treatment for Hemorrhoids in Los Angeles?

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Hemorrhoid treatment in Los Angeles can run the gamut from home remedies all the way up through surgical interventions. Along the way are a number of intermediate options which are more invasive than a sitz bath, but far less invasive than conventional surgery.

The Proctology Institute is widely regarded as the leader in minimally invasive hemorrhoid treatments in LA, which is why we are constantly updating our website and this blog with the very latest news and information.

Case in point: this study, which looked at the comparative risks and benefits of two common hemorrhoid treatments: rubber band ligation, and artery ligation. The results clearly indicated that artery ligation required fewer follow-ups to achieve the same success:

After 19 months of recruitment from 18 UK centres we gathered data on 372 participants. One year post-procedure 30% of haemorrhoidal artery ligation group had evidence of recurrence and 49% after RBL (p=0.001). The main reason for the difference was the number of extra procedures required to achieve improvement/cure. If repeat RBL is not counted as recurrence there was no statistical difference between groups (adjusted odds ratio=1.53, 95% CI 0.96 to 2.44, p=0.071).

But declaring a clear winner gets tricky. It turns out that rubber band ligation offered a number of tangible benefits in the study as well: patients reported far less pain and shorter recovery times. And the procedure was less expensive.

So what’s the takeaway? There is no one-size-fits-all hemorrhoid treatment. But if you require rubber band ligation for hemorrhoids, you may find that the trade-off in time is worth it for the extra comfort and savings you’ll get.

What is Rubber Band Ligation?

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When hemorrhoids strike, the itching, pain, and bleeding that may result can be debilitating. Although many people start with OTC medications or sitz baths first, some cases of internal hemorrhoids are just too stubborn for home remedies.

That’s why your hemorrhoid doctor could recommend rubber band ligation.

Rubber band ligation, also known as hemorrhoid banding, is a nonsurgical process by which small elastic bands are placed at the base of each hemorrhoid. Soon the loss of blood flow “starves” the hemorrhoid, causing it to fall off harmlessly.

What can you expect in terms of follow-up and aftercare? WebMD offers a clear description:

People respond differently to this procedure. Some are able to return to regular activities (but avoid heavy lifting) almost immediately. Others may need 2 to 3 days of bed rest.

Pain is likely for 24 to 48 hours after rubber band ligation. You may use acetaminophen (for example, Tylenol) and sit in a shallow tub of warm water (sitz bath) for 15 minutes at a time to relieve discomfort.

I have been treating hemorrhoids in Los Angeles for more than a decade, and in that time I am proud to have earned a reputation as the best hemorrhoid doctor in LA. If you are interested in hemorrhoid banding, please contact the hemorrhoid specialists at the Proctology Institute today.