Hemorrhoids are a complex of vessels, -the hemorrhoidal plexus-, that every person has and carries blood to the anus area. The problem begins when the hemorrhoids swell and the tissues that hold them in place loosen, causing them to fall through the anal ring.

But why is it a “little big” problem when this happens?

The question is answered by Mr. Diamantis E. Thomas MD Ph.DFACS, specialist in Laparoscopic Robotic Oncology Surgery, Director – General Surgeon at Metropolitan Hospital who emphasizes: “As the figures show, one in three people and/or 4,000 people who are admitted to Greek hospitals every year because of hemorrhoids know that, although hemorrhoids are by no means a life-threatening problem, they are a tormenting problem for everyday life ».

How are hemorrhoids caused?

Hemorrhoids are often caused by a combination of several factors, such as straining during a bowel movement, frequent constipation (hard or difficult bowel movements), diarrhea (frequent loose, watery bowel movements), pregnancy, obesity, cirrhosis of the liver.
Symptoms can be: pain and pressure in the anal canal, a lump, itching and pain in and/or around the anus, and/or blood in the underwear or on the toilet paper.
“Most patients, despite the great discomfort, avoid solving this problem due to the fear of traditional surgical treatment and the intense pain that usually follows it. In addition, the fact that this disease concerns an area of ​​the body that the general public often feels uncomfortable discussing or taking a serious interest in, increases the phenomenon of avoiding the solution of the problem.
The usual picture is: the patient with hemorrhoids arrives at the doctor late, with the problem in an advanced state, without a proper understanding of it and, sometimes, having tried some treatment/medical wisdom provided by an acquaintance/neighbor/friend…
We should keep in mind that any discomfort in the anus area should not be attributed to hemorrhoids. There are diseases that appear very often in the general population in a similar way to hemorrhoids or coexist with them, such as stretch marks, perianal fistulas, abscesses and many others.
The wrong assessment by the patient and unfortunately the unsuccessful diagnosis, sometimes, by the non-specialist doctor, leads to the existence of other symptoms even after an operation for hemorrhoids”, the specialist points out.

Treatment

The treatment of hemorrhoids when they are in the initial stages is conservative. When hemorrhoids persist and, despite the conservative measures that will be applied, remain very swollen, do not go back inside and, above all, bleed continuously, then treatment with some invasive method is required.
“In the last 10-15 years, several techniques and surgical machines have appeared (HAL, LONGO, LASER, THD, ANGIODIN, TRILOGY, RAFAELO, etc.) for the treatment of hemorrhoids.
But the issue is not so much which technique or which machine will ensure the best treatment, but to individualize this treatment for each patient.
This means that the surgeon should have experience and familiarity with both the machines so that they can handle most (if not all) and the techniques so that they are able to choose the appropriate technique or even and a combination of techniques such as the “Milligan-Morgan” combination using a laser, to provide the best surgical results.
However, apart from the ideal surgical technique, a key condition for a successful operation for hemorrhoids is for the patient to change his/her defecation habits.
That is, you must:
• aim for rapid emptying, about 5-7 minutes
• wash with lukewarm water after defecating
• to have a plant-rich diet, so as to facilitate her/his bowel movements.
If the above are not put into practice, the possibility of recurrence after surgery is high.
And it will be really “unfair” for the patient and his doctor, today that the leaps and bounds of medicine, combined with the continuous upgrading of technology, offer highly effective ways to treat the problem of hemorrhoids non-invasively, painlessly, bloodlessly and with quick return to everyday life, not getting rid once and for all of this small-big problem, due to his non-compliance with some simple instructions”, concludes Mr. Thomas.