Rubber Band Ligation of Internal Hemorrhoids

Abstract

Hemorrhoids, although extremely common, require treatment only when they are symptomatic. Symptoms consist of bleeding, discomfort due to protrusion, and pain generally due to thrombosis. Although painful thrombosis most often occurs in external hemorrhoids, the source of symptoms in most patients is the internal hemorrhoid. Surgical treatment for most cases of symptomatic internal hemorrhoids can be carried out in the office without anesthesia by utilizing rubber band ligation, by injecting sclerosing solution, or by applying cryosurgery. This last method, however, produces an excessive amount of drainage during the postoperative period, and because it has no compensating advantages, it is rarely used at the present time. If the proper guidelines are followed in the technique of rubber band ligation, this technique achieves satisfactory results over the long term in more cases than does the injection of sclerosing solution.