Hi,

I posted here a couple months back regarding rectal bleeding. I had a colonoscopy done yesterday and everything was fine , except for large internal and external hemorrhoids. The doctor feels they are causing the bleeding and is recommending surgery. The colo/rectal surgeon he strongly recommends is over an hour away. I'm a little leary of having this procedure done so far away if I have any problems, not to mention the car ride home. There are also a couple in my area. I'm thinking of consulting with the one far away and one in my area and taking it from there.

If any of you have had hemorroidectomies I would like to hear of your experiences. Do any of you know if you have to prep for one like you do before the colonoscopy. This time I had to drink the gallon of golytely. It was horrible. The last time I had one I drank the phospho soda which wasn't good but soooooooooo much better than the golitely. I'm hoping I just have to do an enema before surgery.

Have a nice day everyone!

Hi Sunny

I had this op 11 years ago. The nurse gave an enema before surgery despite the fact I'd already passed a stool that morning before going to the hospital. They obviously wanted to make sure the bowel was completely voided.

I don't recall being given anything to drink beforehand. I don't know what golytely or phospho soda is - are they laxatives? After surgery however, I was directed to take Fibrogel laxative continuously during the healing period to keep the stools soft and prevent straining. I recall the surgeon also prescribed some suppositories but I can't recall now, how often I had to use these.

Once the healing period was over I was like a new person! The hemorrhoids had really been interrupting my quality of life and ease of movement. I seem to recall seeing your previous post and thinking the bleeding you experienced might be due to hemorrhoids. Prior to the op, I would quite often produce what seemed like a lot of blood with stools. This wasn't worrying to me at the time however because I was quite naive about rectal bleeding and had no doubt it was the piles. It was pre-peri and I hadn't entered that state of healthy anxiety that seems to accompany peri so didn't get agitated over anything! The bleeding never happened again after the op.

I take it you're not driving back from the hospital yourself? It's not advisable after a general anaesthetic - or are you staying in hospital overnight and returning the next day? The hospital where I had my op was about an hour's drive away as well, but my husband drove me back (the same day). Your bottom is a bit tender temporarily and even if I hadn't had a general anaesthetic earlier that day, I wouldn't have been comfortable driving on the day of the op.

I'm glad to hear everything was fine for you apart from the hemorrhoids. According to my husband, who's a doctor, treatment for hemorrhoids has advanced greatly, even since I had my op 11 years ago. I'm sure you'll experience no problems therefore and my experience having had the procedure was that it was liberating. I'm still benefitting from having had it done!

I have to say, if a colo/rectal surgeon is strongly recommended, I'd be inclined to see that surgeon, even if over an hour away, rather than one whom I knew nothing about. I take it the doctor you saw is recommending that surgeon on his/her qualifications, experience, skill and surgical outcomes rather than the fact they simply know them compared to others? With any surgery I think it's advisable to go for the best surgeon you can find. If one of the things you're worried about is potential problems after the surgery and proximity to the surgeon who's treated you in that event, why not enquire what potential problems there might be and what would be the procedure if problems are encountered? This is a very routine operation however so I suspect problems are not that usual. I didn't have any at all post operatively.

All the best.

I meant health anxiety not healthy anxiety! Doh!

Thanks for responding. The golytely and phospho soda are both the laxatives I took to clean me out before my colonscopy. I see you're from the UK so they probably have different names there.

My husband will be driving me to the hospital for the operation, no matter where I have it done. From what I understand, this is an out patient procedures and I will be going home the same day. You went home the same day also, right?

I do believe my doctor thinks this surgeon is very good. He said the surgeon does many hemorroidectomies a month. Thanks for your suggestions about asking the doctor about potential problems. I will do this.

I am sure after I have it, I will be glad I did it. They really don't bother me too much other than the bleeding and it seems like it takes me forever to produce a stool. I really feel like I have to go and go a little then have to push and strain to get the rest out. This is bad I know! I sure eat plenty of fiber, take metamucil and drink a lot of water.

How long did it take you to recover? Was the pain the worst you ever felt? I'm reading that it is on the internet. Some people say it's worst than childbirth (where I probably got these little gems). Did you have any problems with your bowel movements or urinating afterwards?

Thanks again for responding. You did make me feel better.

Hi again Sunny

I wouldn't say the pain was the worst I've ever felt by any means - labour was worse. I'd compare it with the pain following childbirth if you underwent an episiotomy or suffered a vaginal tear on delivery (as I did). It's a little bit tender afterwards, particularly when passing a stool. As it's 11 years since I had the op, I don't remember the recovery period in too much detail any more. I suspect I was given prescription painkillers on discharge from the hospital. I do remember I was given lignocaine, or something similar, which is an anaesthetic gel you can use locally, on the painful area. My husband, being a doctor, could probably be far more informative about all this but he's out of the country at the moment unfortunately so I can't ask him.

I don't remember the pain lasting that long. Unfortunately I can't remember now how long! I do recall on the second day out of hospital, I was back to cooking dinner in the evening and I was also able to sleep ok on the night of the op, so it's nothing like as considerable as the pain of toothache (for example), which would keep you awake. The hospital will probably give you painkillers to take home. I can't remember whether I used just one type of painkiller, or a combination of two or more. As I say, I was also given local anaesthetic and laxatives and suppositories which made bowel movements easier - and was given instructions as to how and when to use all of these. I don't remember the pain post surgery lasting very long at all. I was affected for the first week, but can't remember how things were after that. Besides this, I suspect the surgical technique and aftercare is far more advanced now than it was when I had the op, so things may be even better for you than they were for me.

Yes I went home the same day. I was in a private hospital however, and I suspect this might have had something to do with my husband worrying about the cost of an extra night's stay! My husband drove me home and the worst pain I recall from that entire time was on that journey, as we went over bumps! Even then, it wasn't anywhere near unbearable - it just wasn't very pleasant.

I only suggested you ask the doctor about potential problems not because I think you'll experience any (I don't think you will) but because you seemed worried about the distance from you of the surgeon he recommended in terms of aftercare.

Like you, I've always had problems with straining and constipation - hence the piles! As you're seeing a bowel specialist, this might be a good opportunity to discuss these problems with him and ask him for his advice as to how you could improve it in the future. I didn't have any problems with bowel movements or urinating afterwards. I stopped using laxatives and suppositories quite easily once healed and my bowel movements went back to what they had been prior to the op. I've only recently started adding more fibre to my diet, in the form of a spoonful of bran on breakfast cereal and have for some time been taking Yakult daily. In combination with being active during the day, rather than sedentary, this seems to give the best result in my particular case for bowel regularity.

If you want to pm me, feel free.

Hi Sunny,

I tried to send you a pm today but it said that the message couldn't be sent because you had your personal messenger disabled or were in a member group not allowed to use the personal messenger.

Don't know what's happened there!

I don't know what happened either. When I tired to read your PM on Thursday night it said the messenger had been disabled. I emailed the the help people (for lack of better terminolgy) on Friday and received a message that I should hear within 48 hours. It's been about 72 hours and I still haven't heard. I think I replied directly back to your message and gave you my email. If you didn't get I, I'll be happy to give it to you again here if that's allowed.

Do you have any clue what might have happened? My inbox is completely gone.

I hope you're feel fine after your surgery.

Nancy

Hi Sunny

I didn't get a further pm from you with your e-mail address. I only received one pm from you on Thursday (the one to which I replied) and nothing after that.

I'm afraid I'm completely hopeless with the forum software and don't know whether you might have done something to deactivate your inbox or whether it's some glitch in the software. You could start a thread about it to see if anyone knows. I don't know whether the forum rules allow you to post e-mail addresses publicly - I suspect they might not. It's perhaps not advisable, particularly if it gives away your true identity. This forum can be read by anyone on the internet, not only members, and anything posted here can be picked up by a search engine.

If you can't get your private message box back, I could post the information I have for you here, or in a message on your profile? If the forum regs allow you to post an e-mail address and you feel it's ok for you to do that, then I could e-mail you.

eeeeekkkkhhh. Scary stuff. My hemroidectomy was done in office. Post-op when the numbness wore off, It was the most painful thing I've ever experienced. AND, the ride home (about 30 minutes) was miserable. I felt every notch in the road. Don't laugh at the "doughnut pillow". Get one! You'll appreciate it. I shudder at the memory. Maybe internal surgery won't be so bad as the external I experienced. I'd say I was down for two days. Then recovery was a breeze and all healed well.

Thoughts and prayers with you. Let us know how it goes, okay!?!