Infrared Photocoagulation For Hemorrhoids
Small and medium in size hemorrhoids can be treated with a well known medical treatment medically known as Infrared photo-coagulation or simply known as coagulation therapy. Throughout the procedure, the doctor utilizes a device that produces highly concentrated beam of infrared light. Heat from the infrared light is meant to mildly burn off the tissue, which in turn stops the blood supply to the hemorrhoids. The hemorrhoid goes away and a tissue scar takes place on the wall of the anal passage. The scar tissue binds surrounding veins in place so they don’t swell into the anal passage.
Just one hemorrhoid at a time will be treated while other hemorrhoids get treated at 10- to 14-day breaks. This medical practice can be carried out with other devices like electrical current or laser that also shuts off a hemorrhoid’s blood supply. Infrared photocoagulation for hemorrhoid can be performed in a doctor’s workplace. You may experience heat and some pain throughout the process. After that, you might experience feeling of fullness in the lower part of your abdomen or even feel as if you want to pass motion.
What to Expect after Infrared photocoagulation
Most common side effects:
Your anus may bleed for 7 to 10 days after the treatment once the hemorrhoid drops off. Bleeding is usually mild and should stop on its own. You may be prescribed pain killers and coupled with sitz bath(resting in a tub of warm water for 15 minutes to get rid of discomfort).
To stop bleeding, you are advised not to take aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications for four to five days both before and after the infrared coagulation procedure.
Health specialists advise that you should consume stool softeners that have fiber to promote smooth bowel movement. However you must avoid straining during while passing motion as it can bring hemorrhoids back.
When Infrared photocoagulation is necessary?
Doctors suggest coagulation therapy in situations when small internal hemorrhoids persist causing symptoms even after home procedures.
Does Infrared photocoagulation work?
The success of Infrared photocoagulation in curing hemorrhoids depends on many factors that include what type of treatment is applied and whether causal factors like constipation can be treated first.
For example: small internal hemorrhoids are easier to treat using Infrared photo-coagulation or coagulation therapy. Bigger sized hemorrhoids are harder to be treated when there’s rubber band ligation involved.
Risks of coagulation therapy:
Significant pain throughout the procedure.
The anus bleeding.
Possible infection in the anal passage.
Momentary incapacity to urinate.
Cost of coagulation therapy is high, but definitely cheaper than having a surgery that may require a hospital stay and lost hours of productivity while being away from your workplace. Not every doctor has the necessary experience or the right kind of equipment to perform coagulation therapy. Always ask your doctor what treatment he or she has performed the most in the past, how many times he or she has performed the procedure, and how happy people have been with the results. Lasers are not necessarily proven to be more successful than other types of treatment. You must take a great care when going for laser based treatment which costs more and present possible damages to the treated tissue causing more scars.