Hemorrhoidectomy Recovery - how long will it take?

I have been recommended to have a hemorrhoidectomy by a general surgeon. He said the full recovery time would be about 2 months, but that I should be pretty much back to normal within one week. I teach 4 back to back classes which requires 6 hours of standing two days a week. He assured me I would be fine after a week to teach these classes. Additionally, I am a newlywed. The surgeon further assured me that I would quickly be able to resume the things that newlyweds do :-) After reading your emails, I'm now terrified and am not sure what to do. My cousin had the surgery 5 years ago and hasn't had a hemrrhoid since. A confused woman :'(

I think you surgeon is a little optomistic. I would say 2 weeks and you should be reasonably normal, you would be extremely lucky to be able to work like that normally after 1 week. My job involves 8 hours of standing and I didn't feel comfortable to go back until 2.5 weeks.

I also had one of those swollen areas you are referring to. Its been just over two months for me and mine is pretty well gone. I think its from having your rectum stretched to levels its never known before, I know mine hadn't, and I hope never does again. Since it is exit only, I don't expect it to. Stay on the fiber and a stool softener together. I don't know if your are a vegetarian, but laying off a lot of meat for a while at least wouldn't hurt either. Meat tends to constipate. Just try to keep the stool as soft as possible till you're recovered. It would still be a good idea even after that. You don't want this to happen again I'm sure.

I just recently had my Hemorrohoidectomy performed 4 days ago, and i have to admit , it is painful, but i prayed and had faith that the pain wouldnt be too bad, i'm a young man in my mid 20's and had hemorrhoids and anal warts,(which i really wanted removed) I plan on returning to work after only 6 days of recovery, cuz all though there is pain, it is tolerable, and i know it should heal completely within a few weeks. i have yet to take any pain medication, only stool softeners, my 1st BM was very painful though, i hope the rest arent as bad. But if the doctor recommends u to have it, regardless of the fact that ur anemic, or your condition isn;t "life-threatning" u should defineltly have it done. Its worth it in the long run.

My DH had an emergency hemorrhoidectomy on October 11, 2007. These are some things we've learned along the way.

1. Go to a colon/rectal surgeon, not a general surgeon.
2. Don't go through this alone if at all possible. You'll need both physical and emotional support during recovery.
3. Make sure that you are either prescribed or have OTC anti-inflammatory meds for swelling that can restrict urination causing extreme pain.
4. Prior to surgery make sure you have lots of Depends to wear and underpads for your bed. Also have clean sheets and towels on hand. We also had lots of white washcloths on hand to use for cleaning up. Babywipes burn if you develop a rash which you probably will. That brings up another topic...plan on doing or having someone do, laundry pretty much every day to maintain your stock of clean sheets, towels and washcloths. In addition, if you do not have a tall toilet, consider purchasing a raised portable toilet seat that fits over your toilet. A short toilet will only add to your torture. Don't use a donut. Puts too much pressure on your rectum.
5. Normal instructions are to return immediately to your normal diet. Do not do this. Stick with a medium fiber diet and easily digested foods at least for 10 to 14 days.
6. You should expect some bloody discharge or fecal leakage for 10 to 14 days. You may develop a rash from this discharge. Use diaper rash cream. The fecal leakage can be quite smelly. Don't be alarmed...it is normal. Not at all fun but normal.
7. It's ok to bear down gently when having a BM. Don't strain. Spray yourself off in the shower after the BM. Then go soak yourself in the tub in the hottest water you can stand. My DH does this a couple of times a day. This seems to bring a lot of relief. He would then blot off and then go lay on his stomach on the bed and just air dry.
8. The more you are able to move around and walk around the more it seems to help the recovery process. It helps get your system back to working as it should.
There is no doubt about it. The recovery from this surgery is probably the most painful thing you will have ever experienced, particularily the first few days. It does get better especially if you have some idea of what to expect. As far as returning work goes, I personally think you should allow minimum 2 weeksdepending on what you do for a living. Even then you probably will be uncomfortable.

I had my hemorrhoidectomy 7 weeks ago and I also noticed the same thing. I know it wasn't there before. So I contacted my doctor, he told me the same thing it will go away but it's still there. I am not sure what it is but since I am still healing, I'll wait a little longer to see if it goes away

I have had two hemorrhoidectomies......one in 1986 and one 9 days ago.
I have had very little pain....either time. Before the lst surgery I had read Bernie Siegel's "Love, Medicine and Miracles". My family doctor was assisting the surgery and I asked him to tell me during the surgery that I would have no pain afterwards. Well, he did....and I had NO Pain. This time I asked the anethetist to tell me the same..(no Pain) at first he said he couldn't do that but when both my husband and I assured him it worked for me he said okay. To make a long story short. .. had one ulcerated hemorrhoid removed. Surgery begun at 11:00 and I was home (50 miles from hospital) by 3:30. I took 4 pain pills over the next 3 days. Since then my activities are normal.....driving car, playing bridge, etc. My only complaint has been the bleeding/seepage.I hope this will help anyone who has to have this surgery.

It's a relief to read other people's experiences..
I am post-op day number 9 after having internal/external ones removed (something about stage 4.)
The surgeon has me on Oxycodone (5mg) pills. Up to 4 every 3 hours and Doc-O-Lace (100 mg) twice a day. No topical creams/ointment
Am trying to eat a high fiber diet (All Bran, fruits, vegs) and alot of liquids.
The first week was absolutely miserable with sporadic and painfull BM coupled with involuntary muscle spasms, a high degree of urinary retention and continual buring down below.
No comfortable way to lay,stand or be immobile. Still never know when/if I need to take a BM or if I will be able to fully purge the kidneys.
Have had to add an Advil twice per day to fight a new pain in the left butt cheek. Not sure if the doctor irritated a nerve of if the muscle strain has caused a strain.
This was my first surgery and has been no picnic.
The burning continues with some level of blood leakage (thank god for pads!)
Not sure what to expect next.
I see the surgeon next week for the 2 week follow-up.
Interesting is that neither the hospital staff (out-patient) or the surgeon"s office has called to see if I am still alive.
I wouldn't recommend this to everyone who is suffering but after 10 years of the periodic bleeding, pain and not knowing what kind of day I was going to have- had no real option.
Still young at 51 with lots to do i.e. vacations and life in general.

I am scheduled on the 20th for a hemorrhoidectomy I only have one hemorrhoid. I was wondering if my surgery might not be as complicated since I only have one. The stories I have read here are terrifying to the point of do I live with the pain and bleeding or do I suck it up and have it done. The only problem I have is it affects my everyday life and it is to the point of being miserable. But now after reading what was on here I am scared to death. Can someone please give me some insight. %-)

Is there anyone out there that has only had one hemorrhoid removed and the suregry was not so bad. This has acutally has me terrified, I go on the 20th of November and my surgeon told me average person is 2 to 3 week recovery period, if all goes well could be on light duty after a week but he did state everyone is different and would not be able to guarntee the recovery period. Please help if you have any insight for me. Thanks.

I had my surgery on Monday, 10/29/07. I had both internal and external roids. This has been the most painful experience I've encountered, which includes childbirth recovery. The roids were controlling my life and had gotten progressively worse this past year. I had alot of pain and bleeding. Surgery was my only option.
To those that are considering surgery I suggest doing your homework first. Research what options are available to you and seek the opinion of more than one doctor. There are different techniques available that not all doctors perform. Good luck!

Hi everyone... i had surgery this last monday (10/29) too. It was an emergency procedure because the rhoid i've had for close to 7 years got more swollen that it ever had before and the pain was unbearable. I only had the one, and like i said, its been there for years. it would cycle through flare ups every couple of months, be swollen and tender for a few days, then magically go down as mysteriously as it would appear. this last flare up was the worst ever, and it swelled up to the size of a golf ball.



before the surgery, i couldn't sit, barely walked, even laying down and rolling over was miserable. it felt like i had a burning telephone poll up my butt and no amount of topical medications, tucks wipes or sitz baths gave me any relief. i work as a nurse in an emergency room, and its safe to say i've pretty much seen it all. i also know that while i needed emergency treatment, i certainly wasn't going to MY place of employment to receive treatment.



when i went to the "other" hospital, i was essentially blown off. i guess because i work in the business, i know the signs. the PA came in initially to take a look at what i was describing. After gasping omg, she left to grab the attending physician to come take a look. he touched it, i yelped, and they both left saying "i'll be right back.." he returned about 10 minutes later with some sterille gauze, a syringe of numbing medicine and a scalpel. for the first time, my fear ecplised my pain and i yelled for a quick time out.



ok seriously, i work in health care. i'd like to make an informed decision! unfortunately, i was a little too panicked to be articulate. my biggest concern was/is that of infection. its the biggest risk with any surgical procedure, and often the most overlooked. i know (from school) what all a hemorrhoidectomy entails, and while its not as invasive as other abdominal surgeries, it involved the incision of a major blood vessel in an area that contains a large amount of bacteria. if anyone was going to come near my butt with a knife, it was going to be in the sterile environment of an OR, not some dirty, high traffic ER.



this attending physician very egotistcally took my concern as a knock on his ability. looking back, i'm very releaved that i was able to stick to my guns, even while in a lot of pain, because that is not the type of doctor you want messing around with your butt! the only good thing that came of the ER visit that night was a 1am phone call to a colon/rectal surgeon who agreed to see me first thing monday. She was scheduled to be in the OR all day, and was planning on seeing me in her office between cases. it was about 1pm when she looked at me, and at 1:05 she was on the phone with the OR coordinator trying to find a bed and time spot to fit me in. within the next 20 minutes, i had pre-op labs drawn, gotten registared, and called my husband to come because i would be needing a ride home.



by 4pm, i was resting comfortably in the post-anesthesia care unit after having my external thrombosed hemorrhoid removed. i was pretty numb for the rest of the evening, feeling relief more than anything. after the pain i had been in before surgery, the discomfort i felt that first night was nothing in comparison! i slept very well that night, and the real pain didn't come until the next morning.



the pain before surgery was a constant, stabbing and throbbing pain. after surgery, its more of a tearing and throbbing pain. using mirrors i've been able to look at and monitor the incision and stitches for any changes.



things i've noticed:

1. there is a lot of swelling, around the whole area. even the right side of my labia majora is swollen, which is just a normal part of surgery, that surrounding areas swell too.

2. i've never really been consitpated in my life, even after orthopaedic surgeries i had in the past. narcotic pain killers may slow things down, but never dam me up. i had the surgery on monday, i didn't have my first post-op BM until thursday. i felt like i lost 5 lbs, so the relief of actually going definitely offset the discomfort.

3. most of the discomfort with my first BM was related to fear. not to say that it didn't hurt, but maybe that it wouldn't have hurt so much if i wasn't so hyper sensitive and aware of it. i'm terrified of ripping a stitch, getting an infection, etc... maybe because i work in healthcare and understand the possible risks and consequences, i'm a bit more anal that others might be. lol

4. you have to have a sense of humor about this. a hemorrhoidectomy is a pain in the butt- and its ok to admit it! people are very reluctant to talk about these types of issues and even worse, to ask for help. my husband has been amazing and sympathetic. getting up and getting a glass of water and a pain pill might seem like nothing, but it means the world when you have someone that can help you when the thought of even rolling over in bed sends terror throughout your body.

5. be an advocate for your own best care!!! i came into the health care field after working for many years for the government at a "desk" job. i've seen that people who don't work in health care tend to have a blind trust in doctors to do the right thing. it is important to trust your provider, but its is equally important to trust your gut instinct as well. is the doctor really listening to your complaints, or does it feel like you're being dismissed? is he/she taking the time to explain to you what exactly they think is wrong with you and exactly what they believe will be the best method of treating it? for me, surgery was my only option, but for others there might be better alternatives. yes, doctors are busy, but you should never feel like your care should take a hit because the doctor has "something better to do" than deal with your butt. it IS an important problem. you have the right to effective pain management and thorough education about the risks, benefits, outcomes and follow-up you should expect.



when that ER doctor came at me with a syringe and a knife, my gut told me NO! he dismissed my questions, not giving me clear answers, and overall made me feel like i was wasting his time. THIS IS NOT THE TYPE OF DOCTOR YOU WANT ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR BUTT WITH SHARP OBJECTS!!!



the colon/rectal surgeon i met with the next was the complete opposite. she was incredibly respectful of both my physical and emotional comfort. working with the anesthesiologist, my pain was effectively controlled and when i got home that evening and took the first look at my new butt, i was amazed to see the giant lump was gone and just a row of 8 stitches in its place.



i am now 5 days post-op. my butt still hurts, but i'm not all that surprised. its surgery after all! surgery on a very sensitive area nonetheless. i am off work until next wednesday, and am hoping things continue to heal without any complications, because a week from today i am supposed to be on a plane to california for my sister-in-law's wedding. i'm doing my best to try and take each day as it comes, and not expect any miraculous recovery. tomorrow is my birthday, and i'm now thinking the dinner plans are going to have to be seriously reconsidered because i don't know how well i'll be able to tolerate sitting through dinner at a nice resturant... god, i haven't even thought of what to wear because honestly anything more than PJ's seems too restricting right now! haha



i came across this page just out of curiosity, wondering if my experience is similar to others, simply because this isn't the type of thing people ordinarily open up about when talking about surgical history. its scary to even think about a stranger coming near your backside with a knife, but its even scarier to me to go through this without being as informed as possible, and letting those around me (like my husband and close friends) know whats going on without crossing the TMI (too much info) line for them. i'm very lucky to have a handful of great, understanding people close to me that are helping me get through this.



honestly, more than percocet, more than sitz baths and soft pillows; the most comforting thing in my recovery so far has been having a sense of humor. being able to laugh at all the things that ordinarily would be horrifying helps you to mentally be strong enough to take on the physical pain.



just don't laugh (or cough) too hard, you don't want to rip your stitches. :)



if anyone just needs to talk, feel free to contact me. i'll be layed out for a few more days at least with this: _[removed]_



*the perfect @ssh*le ;)

I am almost 2weeks post surgery. Still painful to sit/lay and BMs etc.
On Oxycodone (5mg) and Du-co-lax twice per day.
Eating high fiber foods, Metamucil and lots of liquids.
Very gaseous stomach and you never know if you have to go or not.
Going to see the doctor next week.
BM still bloody and requires some effort- but found that you cannot push as the doctor says- you virtually have to wait unitl it comes flying out.
I think the doctor irriated a nerve and am having pains in the left cheek.
Not a surgery that I would want to have again.
I too am wondering about "tags" -I see evidence of such.

Yup, just had the surgery on WED (4 days ago) and was issued some stool softener and some Percocet (wasn't sure why I got so many - 40). After 48 hours I took off the bandages and had some continuous slight bleeding and leakage. Am taking 4 or more showers a day (because I live in a 40 man squadbay with 4 toilets and only showers) and rolling toilet paper between the cheeks from having to constantly change underwear. My biggest fear was the first bowel movement, which came this morning. Man, now I know why I got so many Percocets. It wasn't the actual bowel movement it was a couple of minutes later with the constant sharp pain back there (it feels like someone shoved a knife into my anus). I thought I would be back to my old self on SUN, better rethink that one. After reading all the comments I will now start using the 800 mg of Ibprofen with the other meds.
I can't say I wouldn't have gotten the surgery after reading all these comments but if your mind is always on your rear because what's happening down there, suck it up and get rid of those thing...I know this will be a vague memory in a few weeks.

One thing, if you have a cold don't get the surgery...sneezing or coughing hurts like a #$@@!%&*!!!!

Found this thread to see what's in store for me and guess my case isn't so bad...yet. my surgery was 72 hours ago, and butt soreness has reduced from "all over the rectal area, need painkiller" to one small spot very tender -- possibly the site of the incision. Am now avoiding pain pills as I think I can manage plus I heard they can cause constipation. So my present situation is, I was totally cleaned out for the procedure and was on pretty regular food soon after, with the usual fiber and stool softeners. As yet, though, there's been no urge to dump, and of course I'm not looking forward to it but don't intend to fight it cause ya gotta go eventually. The longer it takes, the more I heal before stretching the area, but I'd like to know from the rest of you how long is normal from your first meal to your first urge to evacuate, starting with a completely empty GI tract. FYI I was "lucky" in that my roids were internal, popping out during a BM but tucked back in thereafter during wiping. No pain or discomfort except when they they pop out during yardwork or such. Lived this way for decades, but recently they started bleeding bigtime during BMs, enough so that I became dangerously anemic and ended up with a transfusion, then the roidectomy. Take heed, fellow procrastinators! One more piece of oversharing -- dr. said he used several (titanium?) staples, which will pass, and had to cut and sew on one of them.