what is the recovery time for hemorrhoid surgery

Eeeeek. This is the most painful thing I have ever had. How such a small op can have such a long recovery time. Thank you for this website I am so glad that I am 'normal'. We should form a survivors club.(I presume you do suvive!!). Nothing prepared me for the pain of this and the dread of each BM.

I'm glad I found this forum - I checked out just before my surgery Feb 28th and so I was prepared and had some of the supplies ready to go. Thought I'd share - I had both internal and external ones removed - been suffering since the birth of my first child 26 years ago when my 10lb baby came out too fast and face up that resulted in 2 inches of torn rectum that was resown improperly by the attending on call. (no anesthesia either) They tried to repair it 17months later when my second child (almost 11lbs) was born but I've been left with some serious scar tissue and a very tight anus.

Things I didn't expect: 1) I had a bad reaction to the pain meds (oxycotin and percoset) I couldn't stop throwing up in the hospital and I couldn't pee so they admitted me overnight. Finally, after all the pain meds wore off, I could finally pee so I reduced the dosages to less than half of what was perscribed and I've been coping. (was 1 10mg 12hour longacting oxycontin with 2 percoset every 4 hours - I changed it to just one Percoset every 4 hours)

2) When I got home and grabbed a hand mirror - I had this big (at least an inch square) flap of "skin" hanging out of my anus! I was prettty alarmed and called the Doctor's office. They assured me that this was "normal" swollen tissue that would shrink over the next 4-6 weeks! I was dubious and tried to describe it a few more times but they insisted it was just swollen. Well, the next day when I finally was able to expell the gauze packing - it came out too. Thank goodness! I really wasn't enjoying the prospect of trying to clean around that thing. I see my doc tomorrow and I'll ask/tell him.

Things that have helped:

1) that awful gas/bloating - I've been adding Beano to my meals - seems to be helping
2) topical pain management - AnaMantle HC - a cream that had been prescribed earlier for my hemorrhoids( 3% lidocaine .5% hydrocortisone)
When I ran out - mixed 20% benzociane (tooth pain gel) with pure aloe vera. Also worked pretty good.
3) - Sitzbaths - sitzbaths -sitzbaths - counldn't survive without it. The contraption I got at the hospital works great. (I had to request it) Every other "bath" I use epsom salts in the water.
4) "spasms" when the anus is in spasm, ususally after a BM, I found that if it hasn't calmed down with the sitz bath, I have a vibrating back massager that when placed on the small of my back seems to help calm it.
5) I've been following all the great advice about stool softeners and fiber and fruit juice - been religious about it. I have a BM 3-5 times per day - same as before the surgery. Going that often is exhausting!! I'll start sweating about 15 mins before - I try to walk as much as possible so I'm not sitting down too long on the toilet. I'm usually shaking and wrung out when done. My body seems to wait until the pain meds wear off, so its usually between meds so I use "Lamaze" breathing to get me through.
6) distraction and activity - I do better when I'm up just quietly puttering around as much as possible. Granted, I ususally need to sleep for a bit after each BM, but I try to get up and walk when I wake up. My worst day was when a well meaning care giver tried to make me stay in bed for the day. The pain was almost unbearable. Sometimes I just make laps in my living room while I talk to my parents or friends or kids on the phone. I was up walking laps in the hospital too - carrying my little spit up tray along with me - came in very handy.


Hope some of this helps - I'm very gald I found this before hand so I wan't so blindsided by the pain. I had no anesthesia with any of my kids, I've had cancer and a hysterectomy. Exhausting but not as much pain - this definatley takes the cake! Oh, and as my friend just told me - when the pain gets bad - remember "the worst is behind you" ha

Dear Hindered:
I am now 6 1/2 weeks post-op and I can finally say that I am glad I had the surgery. Everyone assured me that I would feel that way at the 6 week mark. I figured they were wimps and that I would breeze through it in 2-3 weeks. NOT. It was one step forward and one step back each day.
I finally threw away my sitz-bath. I was so dependent on it that I was afraid that I would have to take it with me on vacation! My digestive system finally settled down, my BM's are back on track and I feel fine. I do, however, continue to take 2 Dulcolax stool softeners in the evening (not the laxative form!) and a fiber drink. Good luck. It does get better.

Okay, It's been 6 days post-op Hemorrhoidectomy and its still painful, although I have to say that its gotten 25% better by this point. What I mean by that is the BM's. I've had my second BM since surgery and the first one was hell (10+pain), the second one was about 7-8 level pain, trust me, this made a big difference. I found myself not weeping on the toilet like the 1st BM, all I can say is get over the first one and your halfway there.

I still get throbbing after BM's but not as painful and it doesn't kick in immediately like the first. I took 2 vicodines as soon as I knew I was about to have a BM. It helps with the after-effects of the pain. My hemorrhoids have never caused me this much pain the entire time I've had them, at this point I would rate the surgery at 100x's worse than having the hemorroids. I hope things get better, I have to return to work no later than 2 weeks, that's all the sick time I have left. If it goes onto 3 weeks I'm going to start having to take leave without pay...ouch, that's going to hurt both ways, in the ass and in the wallet. All because of these little annoying things called hemorroids. This bulletin board is the only comforting thing that I've found so far, being able to relate my pain with all you guys has helped. If you haven't had this done, there is not way to understand/explain such excruciating pain.

It is now 32 days since my surgery. Returned to work after 28 days. Recovery has been two steps forward and one step back. Pain during the first two weeks was manageable except for BMs. Pain during BM was almost unbearable unless stool was extremely soft. Usually hot shower after BM offered immediate relief followed by hot bath for more relief/relaxation. Used spray nozzle with hose attachment to direct water to critical areas (big help). Heating pad seemed to offer some post BM relief. Pain during BM became much less severe after second week but still pretty intense. At day 32 I am still suffering from very painful BMs but am thankful that they are at least tolerable. Advice: Avoid constipation at all costs. Drink loads of water, keep on stool softeners, and keep on fiber supplements. Watch what you eat and try to keep stools as soft as possible. Take plenty of hot baths. Buy a shower spray nozzle and use it after BMs to help clean area and relieve pain. Rest up and don't over do. Most of my steps backward came from tring to do too much too soon or from deviating from diet/water/stool softener intake.

It's now 2 weeks and 1 day since my hemorrhoid surgery (external). I can feel improvement every day and am hopeful that I'll soon feel much better. My biggest source of concern though is that my whole anal area looks completely disfigured ... I now have a bunch of bumps and swellings that actually look similar to the original hemorrhoids that were removed. I don't care, of course, how they look, but it's a huge challenge to keep the area clean. And the swellings, nodules, whatever I call them, are very tender (just like my old hemorrhoids). Has anyone else had the same experience? Do these shrink or go away? Thanks!

Hey people!
I can honestly say I feel for myself and everyone else. I would rather anything be done to me than this. I have had a lot happen in my life but nothing like this. The pain is........I cant even explain the pain. I told my GF I would love to be in a coma for about 2 months while I healed so I wouldnt have to feel the pain. Or something. The pain I have been going thru is unexplainable. My doctor said "Yeah" You'll have the surgery on a Tuesday and go back to work the next day maybe day after. I have been off for three weeks. Thank god my boss' are helping me thru this. They actually asked me if I was financially ok and if I needed any money. I have lost a job over hemorroids before. This is the first time I have ever had surgery for them. So I'm waiting on surgery day and I'm like yeah. Finally they will be gone and I can get back to normal in a few days. YEAH RIGHT! I almost pass out having a BM, almost start crying from pain, no pain killers help and Im on oxycodone, The hottest water I can sit my rear in helps the best. I have also used a heating pad when I lay down at night. And I havent yet to find a comfy seat in the house yet. I cant sit, lay, stand, walk, crawl, or hardly move. I would rather deal with a roid now than have to go thru this ever again. This blows my mind. The doctor that done the surgery gave me Hydrocortisone cream, lidocane, proctofoam, lortab, and oxycodone. NOTHING HELPS! ADVIL IS LIKE CANDY CORNS!!!!! As far as the bleeding I have resorted to some bizzar stuff.........I went from boxers back to tighty whiteys. I am almost ashamed to say it but I am using womens kotex to keep from bleeding on everything I own. It is 3/9....this is my one week mark. I am bleeding a little bit at a BM and some pain. I have never prayed so hard in my life. I actually gave my life to the Lord asking for relief. I wouldnt wish this on my worst enemy. Sorry to take up so much space and everyones time. I think the doctors are seeing this as a medical point of time recovery. Let me slice a chunk off his a55 and see how long he takes to heal and see what kind of drugs he wants. Id take some morphine or heroine if I could find it. This is outrageous! Thanks for listening and reading my story though!

During the first week, I was also wondering whether the surgery was a mistake.



It wasn't. At 6 weeks post-op I started getting my first good days and non-troublesome BMs in decades.



I finally had the surgery, because the hemorrhoid bleeding was getting alarming, and was keeping me from going to the office, much less out on weekends.



I'm discovering that I put off this surgery way too long. After 25 years of hemorrhoids, it's taking a long time to reprogram the signals for a "normal" bowel movement -- for years, I've been having "pressure extrusions" rather than bowel movements.



For the post-surgical weeks, I still have to recommend baby wipes and a bidet -- even if only a little squirt bottle. (I picked up a plastic ketchup squeeze bottle that I use for water.) Those really help put out the burning.



I also had the bumps and swellings, and they've pretty much gone away now. I'm even back to normal pants (from the "Depends").



I did more research on the numbness at the NIH web site. It's not exactly related -- but it is. After the surgery, I spent a lot of time sitting in the (hard) tub, and sitting on toilet seats. (And one of the ones in my house is an elongated style with a little crease in the middle.) That pinched the paroneal nerve -- in my case, the superficial paroneal nerve, which caused the numbness in the outer calf and top of the foot. I have to keep reminding myself to not cross my legs, and to get pressure off the back of the upper thigh, but the numbness really is fading now.



In the long run, I'm glad I had this done. I should have had it done long ago ... but the harmonic scalpel wasn't around 20 years ago. ;)

My surgery was an emergency so I never got to meet my specialist before we were in the operating room. He had a quick look and said "Remember, I am a really nice guy because you wont think that when you wake up. I still think he's left his Lexus keys and his golf shoes up my butt but it's getting better.

This is week 7 and all you newbies with fresh wounds have to keep this in mind, IT GET'S BETTER. You might not think it right now but believe me the glimpses I have had of just going to the toilet, having a painless BM and walking away are a miracle.

I now have another infection and it is clearing up with antibiotics but apart from that things are improving. I had a painful afternoon and have some discomfort now but it's because of what I now call a "butt nut", a little bit left over that takes anywhere from 2 to 6 hours to expel. It is normally tiny but the pain it causes is immense. Once I get over this little side effect I will be fine.

It amazes me just how butt focused we become with this. And yes, nobody that has not been there could possibly understand. My specialist knows just how painful it is and is very sympathetic but my advice yto people who are going to have this operation is to find a doctor that has had it themselves.........

Cheers

Graham

Oh Joy Oh Joy,

WELL..... I have just been to the specialist and the "little infection" has turned into an absess internally, plus there are 2 hemerrhoids left internally. they are smallish and he wants to rubber band them when he drains the absess.......hhhmmmmmm.

So it's back to hospital for the pirate (I wear an eyepatch).....

So I dont want to hear anyone complaining on this forum again about the recovery time. Try going through it for 7 weeks only to find out you are going to line up and do it all again (although he did say that this time wont be as bad as the first).

What is the old saying "if I didnt have bad luck I'd have no luck at all"

Cheers
Graham

PS,

Sorry guys, my previous post was just after I got the news of having this op all over again. Please feel free to moan and b***h all you like about the recovery time. What I said before was "tongue in cheek". This is about the ONLY place I know of where you can have a good moan about this subject and somebody knows what you are on about so go ahead.

It's now 4 am and I cant sleep from worrying about having this operation again.

I hate this

Graham

I wanted to give one last update about my wife's recovery.

We're at 6-1/2 weeks, and life is almost back to normal. She has a little discomfort/pain with and after BMs, but not that bad. The doctor said that is just stretching and it is normal/good.

We had a major hurdle in that she got impacted bowels from about week 4 into week 6. The nurse kept asking, "Are you constipated?" And my wife would say, "No" because she was going. However, it wasn't enough. It was what we call "rabbit turds."

So, after an emergency appointment with the doctor where my wife was nearly in tears because she hadn't had any relief from the pain since surgery, he examined her and said she was impacted. Actually, he said she was "FOS." He sent us off to the drug store to buy a bottle of Magnesium Citrate. He told her she'd have an exciting couple of hours but she would feel better tomorrow.

Unfortunately, she was really bunged up. The bottle of Magnesium Citrate didn't do anything but make her feel sick. The next morning, she took FOUR dulcolax pills. At about four o'clock in the afternoon she went into constipated labor. It was really hard on her.

However, she made a huge recovery in a matter of about two days, and is now back to working out and doing all the stuff around the house and she's whipped us all back into shape. It's nice to have the Supreme Commander of all things home-related back on her throne...well, the RIGHT throne, that is. (Not the sitz bath.)

I don't think she has come to really appreciate the surgery yet since she's still having some pain with BMs, but I can still remember what it was like when she was turning the potty water bright red every time she went before surgery. That was just plain scary. At least she's not doing that anymore. That's got to be worth something.

Anyway, just wanted to give some hope that things do get better.

Also wanted to emphasize the importance of regularity in the whole healing process.

It has been a real learning experience. Good luck to all who come along later and read these posts. It will get better!

Been there -- for me it was around 5 weeks that all the cereal fiber started to back up, but only for a couple of days, before the back pressure popped the cork.



That's an example of "two steps forward, one step back" that's been mentioned here.



My surgeon has always been stressing regularity. He still wants me to take the chemical laxitive he prescribed. But I find that his first recommendation is still the best: plain old water, and lots of it. I've been going through about 6-8 half-liter bottles of water a day.

(Besides, I've seen how the EPA hates ethylene glycol, so I just can't get comfortable with "polyethylene glycol". ;))



And not bleeding buckets anymore *does* count for a lot.



Patch: sorry to hear about your issues. But the banding shouldn't be as bad as conventional surgery. Good luck.



There do tend to be complications from time to time. For me, I guess I got lucky, that my only complications were the pinched nerve. (And falling on the ice and driving a pin from the watch band through my wrist. -- But that's a different story.)

Warm up the flux capacitor -- it's time to go "Back to the Suture". ;)

(Sorry -- I just couldn't resist.)



At op+7 weeks I'm finally getting the "stretching" the surgeon talked about. I know it's part of the recovery, but I had thought the pain and bleeding were over. Not just yet, I guess.

At least now I have a vague idea what childbirth feels like. :(

I'm now 3 weeks post-op and feeling much better. But still ahve one concern ... I seem to be "leaking" a little. No urge, no pressure, just happen to go for a pee and lo and behold, there's a bit of fecal matter lining my pad. Has anyone else experienced this? Will this go away on it's own? Thanks so much!