Do external hemorrhoids always require surgery?

Written by Deng Heng
Colorectal Surgery
Updated on December 26, 2024
00:00
00:00

Simple external hemorrhoids do not necessarily require surgery. External hemorrhoids are mainly those that grow below the dentate line, and their main clinical manifestation is a foreign body sensation in the anus, which does not pose a significant risk to the body. Only thrombosed external hemorrhoids with obvious anal pain may not require surgery if the lump is small, as the thrombus can be absorbed on its own. Only those with large lumps need to have the thrombus removed to alleviate pain.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yang Dong
Colorectal Surgery Department
31sec home-news-image

The difference between rectal prolapse and external hemorrhoids.

Rectal prolapse is the protrusion of the rectal mucosa, which manifests as an eversion of the mucosa presenting as pink-colored, cylindrical protrusions. These can usually be manually repositioned back into the anus, appearing smooth once repositioned. In contrast, external hemorrhoids are mostly caused by varicosities and are the same color as the skin. They cannot be completely repositioned manually, which distinguishes them from rectal prolapse.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Heng
Colorectal Surgery
45sec home-news-image

Can external hemorrhoids be treated without surgery?

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yu Xu Chao
Colorectal Surgery
1min 11sec home-news-image

Can external hemorrhoids heal by themselves?

External hemorrhoids can be classified into cutaneous flap hemorrhoids, varicose vein hemorrhoids, thrombotic hemorrhoids, and inflammatory hemorrhoids. These are mostly caused by poor defecation habits of the patient, such as prolonged defecation time or excessive straining during bowel movements, which then lead to the growth of excess skin flaps, varicose veins, or rupture of venous blood vessels, resulting in various types of external hemorrhoids. Therefore, these types of hemorrhoids cannot heal on their own and require treatment with medication or surgery. For cutaneous flap hemorrhoids, if the patient does not experience significant discomfort, specific treatment is generally not necessary, just attention to hygiene around the anal area is needed. However, for inflammatory or thrombotic hemorrhoids, since they can cause anal pain and a feeling of prolapse, it is advisable to opt for surgical stripping of the hemorrhoids as soon as possible. Post-surgery, treatments such as anal washes, red oil gauze strips, and golden ointment should be used for dressing changes, while also maintaining cleanliness of the anal region.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yu Xu Chao
Colorectal Surgery
1min 11sec home-news-image

How to relieve the pain of external hemorrhoids?

When there is pain in an external hemorrhoidal tag, it is often due to inflammatory edema or the formation of a thrombus, leading to pain. In such cases, it is advisable to first use an anal cleansing agent or a potassium permanganate solution for a sitz bath after defecation. The duration of the sitz bath should be controlled between five to ten minutes, which can effectively reduce swelling and relieve pain. After the sitz bath, applying external remedies such as Yellow Ointment or Musk Hemorrhoids Cream can also help reduce swelling and alleviate pain. For particularly severe pain, directly using diclofenac sodium suppositories inserted into the anus can provide anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Additionally, for external hemorrhoids with inflammatory edema, it is also necessary to combine this with oral diosmin tablets to relieve discomfort. However, if the external hemorrhoidal tag remains swollen for a long period or if the thrombus does not resolve, it is advisable to consider early surgical excision of the external hemorrhoids, followed by diligent postoperative dressing changes.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
59sec home-news-image

Can external hemorrhoids be cured completely?

External hemorrhoids are a common clinical type of hemorrhoids, and the main method for radical treatment is primarily surgical removal. The sole use of topical medications or oral medications can only alleviate the congestion, swelling, and pain caused by external hemorrhoids, but cannot completely remove them. The surgical methods for external hemorrhoids primarily include external hemorrhoidectomy or the combined internal ligation and external excision surgery. If internal hemorrhoids are also removed during the surgery, there will be sutures present, and it is recommended that patients be hospitalized and observed until the sutures fall out before being discharged. This is to avoid complications such as major bleeding from premature suture loss due to early discharge or exertion.