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Sclerotherapy: Treating Bleeding Internal Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids can be painful, uncomfortable and rather embarrassing. Allowing hemorrhoids to go untreated for too long may cause them to become more severe, thus more aggressive treatment options will be necessary.

Sclerotherapy is a cosmetic surgery which is used to treat spider veins. Typically, spider veins are blue, purple or red and appear on the legs and calves, however, spider veins, also known as varicose veins. Hemorrhoids are varicose veins in the anal and rectum area.

Sclerotherapy is a common procedure used to treat bleeding internal hemorrhoids

During Sclerotherapy therapy, a hardening solution (also referred to as sclerosant) is injected into the base of the hemorrhoids. There are many different kinds of sclerosants, including chemical and saline solutions. Regardless of which sclerosant is used, they are both the same. When injected, they cause a low-grade, long-standing inflammation reaction which essentially scars the vein and mucosal tissue, collapse the vein walls and then finally, causing the hemorrhoids to shrivel.

Sclerotherapy is easy and inexpensive to administer. It is an outpatient procedure of which the technique is simple to learn and not overly complicated to perform. There is no lengthy hospital time required following this procedure.

Another upside is that Sclerotherapy works rather quickly and lasts a long time. The shriveled hemorrhoid usually falls off within seven to ten days during a normal bowel movement. Typically, after this procedure is complete and the shriveled hemorrhoid has fallen away, the patient will go at least 12 months without experiencing bleeding hemorrhoids again.

Hemorrhoids are a common occurrence among the elderly people and another advantage of Sclerotherapy is that it can be performed on elderly adults, even those who have fragile veins. Multiple hemorrhoids can be treated at once with up to three being injected at one time.

If the hemorrhoids are rather large, Sclerotherapy should not be implemented as it has a very low success rate for large hemorrhoids. Another downside is the fact that hemorrhoids often return after the procedure. Sclerotherapy is not a cure for hemorrhoids and may show up again after 12 months.

Sclerotherapy is an acceptable form of treatment for first degree hemorrhoids and during the early stages of second degree hemorrhoids. Even if a first degree hemorrhoid is bleeding substantially, Sclerotherapy has a high success rate. It’s important for the patient to discontinue use of aspirin and birth control.

It’s important to implement Sclerotherapy only in the beginning stages of second degree hemorrhoids. The larger the hemorrhoid gets, the less likely it is that the procedure will be effective. In some cases, multiple treatments will be necessary.

Tags: anal bleeding, anal itching, external hemorrhoids, hemorrhoid pain, hemorrhoid treatment options, internal hemorrhoids, sclerotherapy, varicose veins

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