I'm a 50 year old woman - very fit, very active. Slim, never overweight. I had both internal and external hemorrhoids. No idea why I got them since I eat a good diet and never get constipated. I was unaware of the internal 'roids but was painfully aware of the externals when they would flare up and become thrombose. Nevermind the problems getting clean.
I consulted a surgeon at Baltimore Colorectal Surgery Specialists at GBMC specifically to see if THD would help me. I was told there was a minor possibility of recurrence but told it would remove both my internal and external 'roids. This surgeon required general anesthesia, unlike most of the other posters that had it performed with twilight anesthesia. I only bring this up because I had to deal with the side effects of that as well.
Bottom line (no pun intended) where I had 4 external 'roids with one being trombose going into the procedure, I now have FIVE external with three thrombose. Obviously I can't tell what's going on with the internal 'roids. Called the surgeon - she said I need to wait for the swelling to subside. I don't see how the swelling subsiding is going to magically make my external 'roids disappear but I am dutifully doing my sitz baths and hoping for a miracle.
I have a strange pulling sensation on my insides - probably from the sutures - that makes me fearful of sex or returning to my work-outs any time soon. I am terribly afraid that I may have screwed up my insides with this procedure and pray it's not permanent.
I'll post an update in 2 weeks when I return for the post-op check-up but would be interested to hear if anyone has had a similar experience. Also I want to spread a word of caution to those looking into THD for treatment of external 'roids - while the surgeon said it would make them go away BEFORE the surgery NOW she's saying once the blood supply is removed they SHOULD become smaller but they won't shrink and aren't 'lifted" as the THD website video's clearly illustrate. I feel like a sucker that fell for their sales pitch.
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I'd get a medical lawyer and sue the hell out of the Doctor who said they would go away. I'd post the Doctors name on every forum saying how incompetant he or she was and give a horible review on every "health grade" type site.
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Good news: 3 weeks after surgery, 2 of my original external hemorrhoids have shrunk to almost nothing, and the swelling in 2 others is way down and the pain gone. Bowels pretty much back to normal (thank god). Had to take 2 weeks off work because I was in constant pain. Also 2 weeks of constant diarrhea and trouble controlling my bowels = not a good scenario for the office.
Bad news: Guess was I got?? A BRAND NEW THROMBOSED external 'roid!!!! Very painful, BIG and hard. Could this be "part of the healing process"??? I am doubtful. Pretty convinced at this point the surgery didn't work.
Also, this surgery is not the walk in the park they make it out to be. And it may work fine for internal 'roids but based upon my experience, it is of very limited help for the external ones.
I'll update in 2-3 weeks. Feeling rather pissed off.
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I am 9 days post op. My two best friends are Percoset and sitz baths. I can't believe that I still require the Percoset after 9 days. I try taking ibuprofen instead (800 mg) because I work from home and need to be alert during the day. Well, I can sit at the computer for just a few minutes before I have to lie down on my side. I have no idea when the pain will subside - like you, I saw the stats that said 24-48 hours to resume normal activities. My doc doesn't want to see me for another 2 weeks (that is 3 weeks post op) which I find amazing. Maybe she believes that the swelling will go down enough by then so she won't hurt me when she examines me. But she didn't tell me that.
I, too, went under full anesthesia and there was a very good reason for it. If you use what used to be called "twilight", you still need to use a local. The local makes you swell and then the doc can't see what she is doing as well. So, for that, I was happy to succumb to the full general. It wasn't the kind that paralyzes you so I wasn't quite as worried as when I had gall bladder surgery.
I was hoping for a much more rapid recovery but now I just hope that I feel a little better each day. That is tough to gauge as some days I have a bm (which is still very painful) and some days I just feel like I should and don't. I am on miralax daily. In the beginning I took some herbal cleansing pills and because they took so long to work, I kept taking more and more. Needless to say, I spent two days glued to the toilet and the tub. It was awful so now I just wait and hope (sort of like I used to before surgery). I am deathly afraid of straining, although I do with each bm. I guess time will tell.
Where is the update on your progress? I want to hear some good news!
I, too, went under full anesthesia and there was a very good reason for it. If you use what used to be called "twilight", you still need to use a local. The local makes you swell and then the doc can't see what she is doing as well. So, for that, I was happy to succumb to the full general. It wasn't the kind that paralyzes you so I wasn't quite as worried as when I had gall bladder surgery.
I was hoping for a much more rapid recovery but now I just hope that I feel a little better each day. That is tough to gauge as some days I have a bm (which is still very painful) and some days I just feel like I should and don't. I am on miralax daily. In the beginning I took some herbal cleansing pills and because they took so long to work, I kept taking more and more. Needless to say, I spent two days glued to the toilet and the tub. It was awful so now I just wait and hope (sort of like I used to before surgery). I am deathly afraid of straining, although I do with each bm. I guess time will tell.
Where is the update on your progress? I want to hear some good news!
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I think you're going to feel almost like yourself again 3 weeks post-op. I saw my surgeon 2 weeks post-op and I can tell you that her examination was excruciating.
One thing my surgeon didn't bother to fill me in on - one of my girlfriends had the traditional surgery and she told me - they have topical anesthetics they can prescribe to help with the pain in that area. I have no idea why my surgeon didn't offer me this option. You might look into this.
I want to point out again that THD did not make my external hemorrhoids go away. I contacted THD and got the typical BS you would expect. I feel they misrepresent the surgery in a couple different ways, minimizing the pain and recovery time as well as the efficacy.
Good luck!
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Thanks for the update! I found your words very encouraging. I have some dibucaine ointment for topical pain (recommended by the doc) and it is only slightly effective, especially after a bm. But it is better than nothing. My external roids seems to be a lot smaller but you are right, they are not gone. I had extensive amounts of both internal and external ones (and they were large) so I am going to guess that is why I still have pain.
I am glad you let me know that the exam was so painful. I feel better about my doc now, waiting 3 weeks for the initial post op visit.
I agree that THD misrepresents the recovery, expectations and amount of pain. There is no reason for it either... it still seems a better option than regular hemorroidectomy. I went to one doc who told me I had "end-stage" hems (did that mean that I was going to die? It sure sounded like it!) and that I would need TWO surgeries. I came home crying and decided never to see him again. And as soon as I am feeling fine (whenever that is), I am going to write him a scathing note and put up as many opinions of him as I can.
I am glad you are feeling better but sorry you still have some hems. But if they are not bleeding or painful, I don't imagine that waiting for more surgery will harm you.
Thanks!
T
I am glad you let me know that the exam was so painful. I feel better about my doc now, waiting 3 weeks for the initial post op visit.
I agree that THD misrepresents the recovery, expectations and amount of pain. There is no reason for it either... it still seems a better option than regular hemorroidectomy. I went to one doc who told me I had "end-stage" hems (did that mean that I was going to die? It sure sounded like it!) and that I would need TWO surgeries. I came home crying and decided never to see him again. And as soon as I am feeling fine (whenever that is), I am going to write him a scathing note and put up as many opinions of him as I can.
I am glad you are feeling better but sorry you still have some hems. But if they are not bleeding or painful, I don't imagine that waiting for more surgery will harm you.
Thanks!
T
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I think its sad that angelo212 and others are so ready to jump the gun and hire a lawyer to sue physicians or ruin someones reputation based on a not "perfect" outcome immediately after surgery. Surgery is invasive by its nature.... THD involves using a stitch which involves a suture needle to STItCH into your internal mucosa.. logically its going to hurt and take a while to heal. I just had THD surgery and am in pain 9 days out. I was told by my phyisican I would be in pain, I was told the side effects, and I researched the side effects, He gave me his cell phone number and plenty of pain meds to deal with the healing process........ ITs just so sad America's "sueing" culture. This is the reason why US grads are not going into medicine anymore and why the US is short on doctors, people need to wait weeks to get the care they need. I would love to get "Angelo212" information so the next time he doesn't do something perfect at work, I can go on blogs and ruin his reputation..maybe I can hire a laywer and sue him.
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Hi Marving...I am having almost an identical experience as you and I even live in Baltimore. I've had THD twice now and here I sit with a big ol' external roid that I swear wasn't there before surgery. I'm feeling so depressed and disappointed. I really don't want the full blown surgery. How are you doing now? Thanks!
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Don’t believe the recovery time that they tell you! It has been a month since my wife’s THD procedure and she still is in terrible pain. The last that she saw the surgeon she was told that recovery time is 6 to 8 weeks! She is taking Advil and Tylanal for the pain. Would not do this again!
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Hi I stumbled across this site and post. I have been told that THD / HALO procedure of using sutures to cut off the blood supply to the hem. is a procedure that could work for my grade 3 hemorrhoid. The surgeon said that there is pain for a number of weeks(think she said around 6 weeks) but should not be nearly as painful as a hemorrhoidectomy. woudl appreciate updates from those on the chat on how their THD went. how long the pain lasted and if the hem was dealt with or returned. thanks vaughan
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