Haemorrhoids,
fissures
and fistulas 

At CRSC, our aim is to use less invasive treatments that achieve the best possible clinical result while reducing your recovery time and improving your post-operative experience.

Haemorrhoids or piles,as they’re also known, are enlarged blood vessels that form lumps in and around the anus . Although mostly harmless, they can cause significant discomfort, pain and bleeding.

The anus is a delicate and complex structure. This complexity is crucial to give us complete control over our bowels. The reliable and complete closure of the anus between bowel motions is achieved through a combination of highly specialised musculature (the sphincter muscles) and an internal lining that provides an air-tight closure.

Part of this system is a web of blood vessels inside of the anus. These act as cushions, helping to close the gap. Over time, these vessels can enlarge and protrude through the anus, leading to bleeding, itching and irritation.

It could be that there’s a genetic component at play for some - certainly there are patients who develop haemorrhoids with no apparent cause.

In other cases, repeated or continuous bowel dysfunction (for example, constipation or diarrhoea) can place pressure on the vessels around the anus and ultimately lead to piles.

Another common cause of haemorrhoids is pregnancy and giving birth.

Most cases of haemorrhoids can be assessed in clinic by an examination called a proctoscopy. A proctoscope is a small flexible tune with a light and a lens which allows the consultant to look into the anus and rectum.

If you’re experiencing bleeding, we’ll often recommend a camera test (either flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy). This will enable us to rule out any other source of bleeding higher up in the bowels.

While uncomfortable, haemorrhoids are not life-threatening. Most episodes of protruding piles are temporary and can be treated with ointments and laxatives.

Severe bleeding, causing anaemia is very rare. However, discomfort, pain, repeated bleeding and itchiness can cause severe problems and impact your quality of life. In these cases, we’ll recommend surgery.

There is a wide range of procedures to treat haemorrhoids. Small piles are sometimes treated with a procedure called rubber band ligation. This is a painless procedure in which small rubber bands are applied around the base of the haemorrhoid. It can be performed in clinic and doesn’t require an anaesthestic.

More significant cases are treated in theatre, and we will often recommend a short general anaesthetic, although treatment under spinal anaesthesia is also possible.

At CRSC, we also offer the haemorrhoidal artery ligation operation (HALO). In many cases, we prefer this over a haemorrhoidectomy (in which the haemorrhoids are cut out) as it causes less postoperative pain and results in a quicker recovery for you.

In most cases, these procedures are performed as day care surgery, meaning that you’ll be able to go home the same day.

We’ll stay in touch and contact you with an in-clinic follow-up appointment to assess the results of your procedure and see how you’re doing. Get in touch to book a consultation and find out more.