Having painful or uncomfortable hemorrhoids for any period of time can be enough to send you to the doctor for treatment. Yet everyone has a busy schedule, and no one wants a treatment with significant downtime. There are several different treatments available for hemorrhoids. Here are a few of them, as well as what you can expect for recovery times.
HET Procedure
Hemorrhoid Energy Therapy, or HET, is a common treatment for bleeding or prolapsing internal hemorrhoids. This treatment only takes about 10 minutes and is completely painless. There is little to no discomfort after the procedure, and you can return to normal activity immediately.
Excision of External Hemorrhoids
There are several different treatment options for the surgical removal of external hemorrhoids, and they all have their own healing and recovery time. The most common is rubber band ligation, which cuts off the blood flow to the hemorrhoid so that it dies and falls off. This process can take a few days, although it can take a week or two for the resulting wound to heal.
Another common surgical procedure is completely removing the hemorrhoid. This requires anesthetic to perform as it can be quite painful otherwise. The recovery time for the resulting wound to heal is about one week, although for some it can be longer. You can have normal activity with these procedures, but you will have some discomfort and pain until the wound heals completely.
Infrared Coagulation
Infrared Coagulation uses the same principles as a rubber band ligation. The ultimate goal is to cut off blood flow to the hemorrhoid so that it dies and falls away, removing itself from the body. It can take a few days to achieve results, and it will be a week or two before the wound heals.
All in all, hemorrhoid treatments are highly effective, and there is no need for downtime away from your normal activities. Although you may have some pain and discomfort while healing, it is preferable to the ongoing pain and discomfort of chronic hemorrhoids. If you are ready to seek treatment for your hemorrhoids, contact us today to schedule an appointment.