Procedure

The hemorrhoid is ligated at its base, to prevent bleeding from the blood vessels within the hemorrhoid, then it is removed surgically. Alternatively, some surgeons will simply apply a rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid (banding); deprived of its blood supply, the hemorrhoid will then simply fall off and be passed in the stool. Finally, some surgeons will inject the base of the hemorrhoid with a sclerosing agent (sclerotherapy), which also destroys the vessels in the hemorrhoid, causing it to fall off and be passed in the stool.

Review Date: 8/11/2005
Reviewed By: Joseph P. Hart, M.D., Marco Polo Traveling Fellow c/o Department of Vascular Surgery, A. Z. St. Blasius Hospital (Belgium). Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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