Hemorrhoid Banding
What is Hemorrhoid Banding?
The CRH O’Regan system offers a different kind of hemorrhoidal banding – one that’s comfortable and gentle. Our specially trained physicians use a gentle suction device to pull in the afflicted tissue and then place a small rubber band around the base of the internal hemorrhoid.
Because the hemorrhoid band is placed up around the base of the hemorrhoid, it does not contact pain-sensitive nerve endings.
Why is Hemorrhoid Banding Done?
Too often, hemorrhoid sufferers spend endless time and money on home remedies, such as creams, suppositories, and warm baths, getting nothing but temporary relief. Home remedies can keep symptoms in check for a few hours at a time, but the truth is, without a professional treatment, hemorrhoids can continue to get progressively worse.
An excellent treatment for hemorrhoids is rubber band ligation with the CRH O’Regan System. This non-surgical, painless procedure doesn’t require any prep or sedation and it takes only a minute to perform. The healthcare provider places a small rubber band around a portion of the hemorrhoid where there are no nerve endings, cutting off the blood supply and causing it to fall off within a couple of days.
This safe and effective procedure allows 99% of hemorrhoid sufferers to be treated.
How Should I prepare for Hemorrhoid Banding?
There is no preparation for hemorrhoid banding. You do not need to fast, there is no bowel prep, and you can drive yourself to and from the procedure. If you are on blood thinners, our office will contact you to discuss holding these prior to the procedure.
What Can I Expect During Hemorrhoid Banding?
First, your physician will examine you and confirm your diagnosis. If he or she determines a CRH System hemorrhoid banding procedure is right for you, you may begin treatment right away, or on a subsequent visit.
During the brief and painless banding procedure, your physician will use a gentle suction device – unlike the harsh metal clamps used in other banding treatments – to place a small rubber band around the base of the internal hemorrhoid where there are no pain-sensitive nerve endings. The whole thing typically takes less than 60 seconds.
What Happens After Hemorrhoid Banding?
Most patients return to regular activities the day of hemorrhoid treatment. Every physician on this site works hard to ensure your hemorrhoids are treated completely – after hemorrhoid banding, you’ll be without pain or downtime. You don’t even need to fast or take other measures to prepare prior to coming in.
Once the band is in place, it cuts off the blood supply to the hemorrhoid, causing the banded tissue to fall off, typically within a few days. You probably will not even notice when this happens! The hemorrhoid will shrink, relieving your symptoms.
During the first 24 hours, you may experience a feeling of fullness or a dull ache in the rectum, but over-the-counter pain medication will provide sufficient relief.
If you have multiple hemorrhoids, you’ll likely need to come back to treat each one separately – that way, your doctor can monitor your treatment and ensure the complication rate is kept to an absolute minimum.
Once your doctor’s visit is complete, that’s it – no restrictive hemorrhoid recovery regimens to follow. You can resume your normal activities as tolerated. Simply avoid heavy lifting, rigorous exercise and similarly strenuous activity on the day of your treatment. You can resume all normal activity the next day.
You can have normal bowel movements during hemorrhoid recovery, though you may want to soak in a sitz bath (a warm tub with a tablespoon of table salt added) or use a bidet for a gentler cleansing of the anal opening.
What are the Possible Complications of Hemorrhoid Banding?
The potential complications of pain and bleeding are rare (less than 1%), the recurrence rate is very low (5% at 2 years) and the procedure is covered by most insurance plans.