INSTRUCTIONS FOR HEMORRHOIDAL BANDING
You have been booked to have internal hemorrhoids banded in my office on________________at
________________. No anesthetic is required for this procedure.
It is very important that you keep this appointment. We reserve the right to bill you for not showing up. Please phone our office 3 days before your appointment to confirm that you will be coming for the procedure.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR HEMORRHOIDAL BANDING?
1. Buy a Fleet enema to be used rectally two hours before the procedure.
2. Normally you may not need a ride going home but if you are very anxious about this procedure then
have somebody bring you here and take you home. Normally there is minimal discomfort during the
procedure.
An internal hemorrhoid is inside the lower part of the rectum near the beginning of the anal canal. An external hemorrhoid is a swollen vein further down at or just inside the anal opening. Usually there are three internal hemorrhoids at 3, 7 and 11 oclock position. There may be other minor internal hemorrhoids as well.
Usually one to two internal hemorrhoids are banded at one sitting. Therefore you may need more than one appointment to complete the banding of all the internal hemorrhoids. Banding is not done for external hemorrhoids. If external hemorrhoids are bothersome then they need to be cut out under local anesthetic in the office.
WHAT TO DO AFTER HEMORRHOIDAL BANDING?
1. Take pain killers which you are familiar with if there is discomfort or pain.
2. Keep your bowels regular, soft and bulky with dietary fiber, oral fluids, fiber supplements, exercise
and stool softeners if required.
3. Sit in the hot bath for 20 30 minutes twice a day and this will relieve pain and provide comfort.
4. You can use hemorrhoidal ointment which has been prescribed to you.
ARE THERE ANY COMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROCEDURE?
Usually the complication rate is very small. Except for some pressure and discomfort most of the time things go very well. Complications to look for are:
1. Delayed bleeding at 5 to 10 days (less than 1%)
2. Pain (less than 5% – may need to remove the band)
3. Discomfort (30%)
4. Thrombosis (clotting of the hemorrhoidal vessels very rare)
5. Fissure (very rare)
6. Infection (usually rare but can be very serious). In case of persistent pain then please phone
my office.
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