Making Hemorrhoid Surgery More Bearable

Living with hemorrhoids is hard and painful. But for many, the idea of hemorrhoid surgery is just as frightening. It is true that hemorrhoid surgery may feel a little embarrassing and takes some time to recover from. However, it is the best option for permanent or long-term hemorrhoid relief. And most patients feel better about the procedure once they realize there are things they can do to make the procedure and their recovery more bearable. You're in control here! If you take the following steps, hemorrhoid surgery will be far more bearable.

Get a second opinion, and learn about different surgical options.

There is more than one type of hemorrhoid surgery. With a classic hemorrhoidectomy, your surgeon basically cuts away the hemorrhoids. Another type of hemorrhoidectomy involves the use of rubber bands to cut off circulation to the hemorrhoids, causing the tissue to die on its own within a few days. Then, there is stapling surgery, a procedure by which your hemorrhoids are stapled back up into the rectum, where their blood supply will be cut off.

Each surgeon has their own preferred approach, and different surgeons may have different opinions as to which procedure is best for you. So, it's worth getting a second opinion to be sure you're choosing the procedure that both you and your doctor feel most comfortable with. Often, simply having this control over your own choices makes the idea of hemorrhoid surgery more bearable.

Eat a high-fiber diet before surgery.

After surgery, a lot of the pain you experience will be related to elimination and the need to defecate. Of course, it will hurt when stool needs to pass the site that was just operated on. Eating a very high-fiber diet before surgery will ensure that for the first few days after surgery, your stool is soft. Passing it will then be less painful. So, eat your fruits and veggies, eat lots of whole grains, and consider taking a psyllium husk supplement. 

Take time off.

After hemorrhoid surgery, patients are often in a rush to get back to their ordinary life — especially if they've been avoiding activity and taking time off due to the hemorrhoids! But pushing yourself to get back out there too soon can make the pain a lot worse after hemorrhoid surgery. You need to keep your heart rate low and lie down as much as possible for a week, at least. If you tell yourself you feel good, and then you get up and do something, the pain will usually flare up. So, take at least a full week off to recover, and take your rest seriously.

Hemorrhoid surgery is not easy, but it is the best path towards long-term relief from hemorrhoid pain. With the steps above, it will not be such a big deal.

For more information about hemorrhoidectomy procedures, talk to your doctor.