Can external hemorrhoids be treated without surgery?

Written by Deng Heng
Colorectal Surgery
Updated on October 27, 2024
00:00
00:00

Some external hemorrhoids do not require surgical treatment, as they come in three types. The first type, connective tissue external hemorrhoids, mainly presents as a mild foreign body sensation, generally painless, thus surgery is not necessary. Varicose vein type external hemorrhoids typically cause a feeling of heaviness and discomfort around the anus, and if symptoms are not severe, surgery is not required either. Only thrombosed external hemorrhoids, which usually involve severe pain, may resolve significantly on their own within two to three days if the lump is not large. Surgery is only needed for large, thrombosed external hemorrhoids.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Heng
Colorectal Surgery
46sec home-news-image

Can external hemorrhoids be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs?

Some types of external hemorrhoids can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. External hemorrhoids refer to hemorrhoids that are located below the dentate line. They can be divided into four categories: connective tissue external hemorrhoids, varicose vein type external hemorrhoids, thrombotic external hemorrhoids, and inflammatory external hemorrhoids. The first three types of external hemorrhoids do not require anti-inflammatory drugs. Only inflammatory external hemorrhoids, which are caused by inflammatory hyperplasia around the anus, can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs during inflammation to reduce the size of the pathological tissues. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
1min 2sec home-news-image

Can external hemorrhoids be eliminated?

External hemorrhoids are generally divided into skin tag-type external hemorrhoids, thrombotic external hemorrhoids, and inflammatory edematous external hemorrhoids; each type presents different clinical symptoms. If the condition is skin tag-type external hemorrhoids or connective tissue-type external hemorrhoids, the patient generally does not feel obvious symptoms, but these will not resolve on their own and require surgical removal. If skin tag-type or connective tissue-type external hemorrhoids do not affect the patient's normal life, it is possible to avoid excessive intervention and treatment. However, if it is thrombotic external hemorrhoids or inflammatory edematous external hemorrhoids, since there is significant pain during flare-ups that affects the patient’s normal life, surgical removal and treatment should be performed as soon as possible.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yu Xu Chao
Colorectal Surgery
1min 9sec home-news-image

Does the surgical removal of external hemorrhoids hurt?

Surgical removal of external hemorrhoids generally does not cause significant pain because anesthesia is required for the procedure. There are options for anesthesia, including local infiltration anesthesia, spinal anesthesia, or general anesthesia via intravenous injection, ensuring the patient does not experience notable pain during the surgery. However, post-surgery sensitivity is higher because the external hemorrhoids are innervated by perineal nerves. Therefore, it is crucial to use pain relief medication appropriately when changing dressings to alleviate discomfort. Additionally, it is essential to prevent infection, inflammation, or swelling of the wound to reduce postoperative pain. Patients should also manage their bowel movements to avoid dry, hard stools; smooth bowel movements can somewhat relieve postoperative pain. If the pain is particularly severe, the use of diclofenac sodium suppositories for anal insertion can help reduce inflammation and pain. (Please follow medical advice regarding medication use.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
1min 2sec home-news-image

How to quickly eliminate the flesh masses of external hemorrhoids?

If a patient has an external hemorrhoid that has enlarged and they want to quickly or completely eliminate it, it is recommended to directly perform surgical removal. External hemorrhoids generally include thrombotic external hemorrhoids, varicose cluster external hemorrhoids, and inflammatory edematous external hemorrhoids. There are also some skin tag-like or connective tissue external hemorrhoids that do not exhibit clinical symptoms, and do not require excessive intervention in treatment. However, during an acute attack of thrombotic or inflammatory edematous external hemorrhoids, due to congestion or increased pressure in the local hemorrhoidal nucleus, severe pain can occur. You can choose to press with dilute salt water to promote the dissipation of edema. Complete removal requires surgical excision to avoid recurrent flare-ups of the condition.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
1min 19sec home-news-image

How to reduce swelling of thrombosed external hemorrhoids

During the acute flare of thrombotic external hemorrhoids, the primary issue is the filling of the hemorrhoidal nucleus with blood clots, leading to congestion and swelling of the hemorrhoids. Due to edema or excessive pressure inside the hemorrhoidal nucleus, the patient may experience local discomfort or even severe pain. Therefore, the treatment of thrombotic external hemorrhoids first needs to reduce swelling. The methods mainly include local hot compresses, along with the oral administration of medicines that cool the blood, reduce swelling, and relieve pain. However, in some cases of thrombotic external hemorrhoids, where the blood clots are large or cannot be absorbed on their own after repeated attacks, surgery to excise the clots may be necessary to achieve the purpose of reducing swelling. During the acute flare of thrombotic external hemorrhoids, it is recommended that the patient seek medical attention as soon as possible to avoid complications such as repeated attacks or local blood supply disturbances, which could lead to necrosis of the external hemorrhoids.