Fixative Procedures Or Non-Surgical Hemorrhoid Treatments

These treatments are usually tried before surgery, usually for second and third degree hemorrhoids and for people in poor health and older than 70 years. The goal that fixative procedures are trying to achieve is to cut off the blood supply to the hemorrhoid so it shrink, die and falls off.

Surgery cost in fixative procedures can vary greatly, so check for cost, recommendations and conditions of the clinic.

Rubber-band ligation - is the most common treatment used today in the United States. Small rubber band is used to tie off the base of the swollen vein, causing the blood circulation to stop and the hemorrhoid tissue to dies and falls off in about a week.
After that a scar forms in that place, which attaches itself to the underlying muscle of the anal canal, preventing nearby veins from bulging into the anal canal.
The treatment is done in your doctor’s office, it is limited to 1 to 2 hemorrhoids at one time, more can be treated if you are under general anesthesia and in operating room.
It is used on second and third degree hemorrhoids, but symptoms will sometimes return, and will require additional treatment.
The pain occurs frequently, and the bleeding lasts for one or two weeks and can be severe.

• Infrared Photo coagulation - an infrared light is used in small 1 or 2 second bursts, to coagulate veins, it kills tissue in and around the hemorrhoids and causes scar to form, acting in similar way as with Rubber-band ligation. The pain is very frequent, but the bleeding is short term and less severe.
• Sclerotherapy injection - irritating chemical solution (quinine urea or phenol) is injected around the blood vessel to shrink the hemorrhoid after which inflammation sets in, again causing tissue to die and fall off after which scarring takes place. The recurrence of symptoms is very frequent and will often require further treatment.
• Carbon dioxide freezing - uses cold temperatures to shrink and kill the hemorrhoid tissue and cause inflammation and scarring. It causes a lot of post treatment pain, and is less effective than other treatments. Not frequently used.