My story of laser haemorrhoid removal

My close acquaintance with haemorrhoids began immediately after giving birth. But even before this I had experienced discomfort of a certain nature. I know that many people usually don’t pay attention to this. It is believed that increased loads, long-term sedentary work, stress and much more have an effect. Everyone has their own list. In layman’s terms, people do not pay attention to such “little things” in life as the initial signs of haemorrhoids, expecting that it will “resolve” by itself. That’s what I thought too. As a result, I had to deal with one of the most serious, advanced forms of haemorrhoids, which could only be dealt with with the help of a laser.

Part 1. How it all began

Of course, there were harbingers of serious changes in the anus:

1. Slight bleeding appeared after visiting the toilet. But blood in this case, firstly, cannot always be noticed, and secondly, it is often attributed to menu features – the presence of beets, for example, or something with dye.
2. During hygiene procedures, small bumps were discovered in the sphincter area, which at first became news, but was attributed to me by pregnancy. In addition, the bumps were absolutely painless.
3. Over time, discomfort appeared while sitting or changing position. But, since in the later stages it is quite difficult to find a comfortable position in principle, the symptom was not taken seriously.

The fact is that the circulatory system experiences increased pressure during pregnancy, and during labor, enlarged, dilated veins protrude outward even more, since there is no longer room for them inside. As a biologist by training, I imagined all the processes in detail, but, as always, I was in no hurry to attribute serious problems to myself. Therefore, my story had a long-lasting continuation.

Part 2. Alarm bells

Some time after giving birth, I noticed that the discomfort in the rectal area not only did not go away, but also intensified. The symptoms began to make themselves felt fully – itching, burning appeared, bleeding intensified, haemorrhoidal lumps no longer moved on their own – they returned after a bowel movement.

And I went to see a doctor. I was able to get to him through a surgeon, that’s the procedure. This slightly increased the waiting time, but in my condition it was tolerable.

Communication with proctologist clarified the following:

• immediately the diagnosis appeared – external haemorrhoids first degree;
• it was recommended to begin conservative treatment using ointment and suppositories;
• in addition, medications were prescribed to normalize venous tone, which were suitable for me, since I was breastfeeding;
• in order to avoid complications, it was necessary to follow a diet excluding spicy foods, alcohol (which, of course, is not a problem), more juices, broth.

But just a few already difficult months passed before a lump formed in the anus again. She even felt larger and denser than her predecessors. The use of the same therapy gave another beneficial effect; ointments and suppositories worked flawlessly. And here I again missed the moment to prevent consequences – I did not see the doctor. Therefore, my story turned out to be several series of treatments with breaks for excellent health. Almost 1.5 years passed like this

Part 3. Recognizing the problem

A new lump, the most painful of all the previous ones, forced me to refresh all my existing knowledge about haemorrhoids and turn to an Internet search. There was a suspicion that this time there would be no improvement just like that, and it was time to take a closer look at the problem.

I found the contacts of a clinic offering professional help and made an appointment. The examination, in principle, showed an already known problem, but it was necessary to find out whether there were internal haemorrhoids. But this turned out to be quite difficult, since the internal examination was given with increased pain. As a result, after the first appointment, I received recommendations to continue conservative treatment with ointments and suppositories, and herbal baths were added.

After a couple of weeks of tangible relief, I went for a follow-up appointment. And then it turned out that I had already feared internally – haemorrhoids developed not only in external form, but also internal. Therefore, a treatment option was proposed, perhaps the only effective one in my case – laser removal.

Part 4. Laser as salvation

I didn’t have to think long. I planned to go to work soon, and this means spending quite a long time in the office at the computer – I’m an accountant. Removing haemorrhoids with a laser sounded a little futuristic to me, but surgery is surgery.

The preparation took about 2 weeks:

• conservative treatment continued as a necessary factor in alleviating symptoms;
• it was necessary to pass all preoperative tests;
• standard types of examination were required – ECG, fluorography;
• Next, an appointment with a therapist whose approval was necessary.

The clinic has excellent document flow and communication with patients. I received test results by email on the day they were taken.

Now about the operation itself and the immediate preparation for it. Since the removal was carried out using a laser and not the traditional surgical method, the entire complex of procedures took only one day:

1. A clean bowel is required, which can be achieved with a regular laxative. The process itself can take more than one hour; I had to go to the toilet 6 times.
2. Complete removal of hair, which is important both for the operation itself and for the postoperative period, when dressing material in the form of a plaster is used.
3. Light fasting is a day, just like the previous two points. If you have a sugar-containing liquid in the form of your usual hot or cold drinks, this is also not a problem.
4. The operation was performed under general anesthesia and lasted about 40 minutes, so discharge took place on the same day, which is incredibly convenient.

After the operation, it was also possible to eat without delaying the next day. The main thing is that it does not manifest itself in the form of dense stool. A thinning drug was prescribed to help. And also antipyretic and the same suppositories.

Recovery was expected to occur within 2 weeks. As far as I remember, it took me less, maybe a little more than a week. The pain went away and there was no additional postoperative pain. Perhaps I was expecting something like this, fortunately, in vain. Of course, the operation did not go without a trace either. There were echoes of a painful nature, rather dull and dull. And in the first days there was very little bleeding, obviously not from the lumps, which were no longer there.

In the end, everything ended well, and for several years now there have been no signs of haemorrhoids. Although the medical literature says that it will not be possible to get rid of it forever. Fortunately, new trends for a healthy lifestyle, understanding changes in your body and proper nutrition are doing their job – I like to monitor my health. And I hope to maintain my healthy habits in the future.

If you have any questions, write below, I will be happy to answer.