Although hemorrhoids are very common and can most times be treated with home remedies, herbal treatments, or over the counter products, there are cases where the condition will advance to the point where surgery is necessary. If you are at this point then you may well wonder what types of surgery are available and what works. Surgeries such as ligation, sclerotherapy, laser treatment, and infrared treatment are some of the techniques available. This article will talk more about what your options are and how each method works.

One of the most common types of surgery for external hemorrhoids is known as rubber band ligation where the doctor will wrap a rubber band around the hemorrhoid, robbing it of its blood supply until it dies. This is normally an easy procedure that can be done as an out patient with no hospitalization required. In most cases your doctor will want to keep a close eye on you to make sure that no infection sets in.

To treat small internal hemorrhoids, sclerotherapy is often used. This medical practice involves your doctor injecting a chemical that is irritating to tissues and cuts off the hemorrhoids' blood supply. The chemical is injected into the vein within a hemorrhoid and causes the vein to harden and the hemorrhoid tissue to die. A scar will form on the wall of the anal canal where the hemorrhoid was and the scar tissue will hold nearby tissue and veins in place so they don't become prolapsed meaning they wont bulge into the anal canal. This procedure can also be done as an out patient in a doctors office. It will normally take 7 to 10 days for the hemorrhoid to die and you may experience mild pain which can be treated with warm sitz baths. You should also maintain a high fiber diet to prevent straining which can cause the hemorrhoid to reoccur.

A somewhat newer method for removing external hemorrhoids is known as laser surgery. A doctor will use an extremely small pinpoint of laser light and will kill the hemorrhoid by vaporizing it. Many doctors prefer this type of surgery because the laser will seal the blood vessels creating little or no bleeding. This type of surgery can normally be done as an outpatient as well and is said to be painless and creates a more positive healing environment. A different procedure with similar results is super freezing where liquid nitrogen is applied to freeze the hemorrhoid causing it to fall off so new healthy tissue can grow in place. This technique is also said to be painless and bloodless.

The last technique I would like to talk about is relatively new and is used for treating internal hemorrhoids. It is called infrared coagulation and is fast becoming one of the most common treatments used for internal hemorrhoids. This method uses a small problem that is inserted above the hemorrhoid that emits a one second pulse of infrared light that coagulates the vein causing the hemorrhoid to shrink and recent. This procedure is also normally done on an outpatient basis and the only claim is that the patient might feel a burst of heat but this is said to be rarely painful and the patient can normally be back to a normal lifestyle the same day.

This article talks about many but not all hemorrhoid surgical treatments available. Its purpose is to give you some ideas about what is available but if you and your doctor decide that surgery is necessary, then you will need to discuss with your doctor what option will work best for you.