Piles affect about 4.4% of the world’s population. As this can cause bleeding and many other complications, knowing effective treatment options becomes crucial. Laser piles treatment is a minimally invasive solution with recovery that is better than the traditional method. Surgical intervention for treating piles is necessary in around 10% of cases. In this blog, we give you essential details on laser treatment for piles to help you finalise the right treatment plan.
What Are Piles?
Piles refer to swollen blood vessels located either inside or beneath the skin around the anus. They are more commonly known as hemorrhoids.
This condition can cause discomfort, irritation and bleeding. They result from numerous lifestyle habits, such as poor diet, sedentary lifestyles, and more.
Types of Piles
Piles can be classified based on their location and symptoms:
- Internal Piles: These are located within the rectum. These seldom cause much pain unless they prolapse. They cause painless bleeding during bowel movements.
- External Piles: These piles occur under the skin surrounding the anus. External piles could cause pain and are often itchy. Many cases of external piles become thrombosed and cause swelling.
- Thrombosed Piles: It is a condition where there is a blood clot in an external pile. This can be extremely painful, with extensive swelling, necessitating medical intervention.
Symptoms and Stages of Piles
Pile symptoms depend on their type and severity. The most common symptoms are:
- Bleeding: Bright red blood seen after bowel movement or on toilet paper is a sign of typical internal piles.
- Pain and Discomfort: These are commonly associated with thrombosed external piles and can cause pain while passing stool or sitting.
- Swelling and Irritation: Patients with piles feel swelling and itching around the anal area.
Piles generally progress from mild to severe.
- Stage 1: Internal piles, which may bleed but remain inside the rectum.
- Stage 2: Those piles that protrude during bowel movements but will self-retreat.
- Stage 3: Piles that protrude must be manually pushed back in.
- Stage 4: The permanently protruding piles can cause severe symptoms and complications.
Treatment Options for Piles
Pile treatment is predominantly based on the stage of the condition. Depending on your progression, Your doctor can choose a conservative approach to the most advanced surgical intervention.
First Stage
Effective treatments for the early stages of piles are topical ointment to soothe itching, fibre supplements to prevent constipation, and medications taken inside to reduce symptoms. Warm water sitz bath alleviates irritation and promotes speedy recovery.
Second Stage
In the second stage, piles progress, and medical attention is needed. Minimally invasive treatments like IRC (infrared coagulation) are advised in symptomatic cases. A healthy diet and yoga practices will help with recovery and avoid complications.
Advanced Stages of Piles
Advanced stages of piles are tackled mainly with surgical interventions. Different minimally invasive options, such as Doppler-guided hemorrhoidal Artery Ligation (DG-HAL) are useful to ensure a speedy recovery. DG-HAL with Recto-Anal Repair (RAR) and harmonic excision of external piles ensure tissue salvation and early recovery for complicated stages.
Laser Treatment of Piles
Laser piles treatment involves usage of lasers on the targeted affected tissue to treat any grades of piles with minimal or no discomfort. Internal and external piles can be treated with laser treatment.
Compared to traditional treatments, laser treatment for piles recovery time is low. Most patients can return to normal activities within a few days to a week, depending on their post-operative care.
The laser surgery for piles success rate is quite high. A study showed that 98% of patients experienced a decrease in the haemorrhoidal stage, with 72% showing marked or complete improvement in symptoms at the end of 60 days. Rest, avoiding heavy lifting, a high-fibre diet, and adequate hydration are crucial post-operative care measures that can help recover and prevent further complications.
Common benefits of laser treatment for piles are:
- Minimally invasive: It uses smaller or sometimes no incisions, resulting in less tissue damage.
- Less pain: Patients suffering from postoperative pain are relatively low compared to traditional surgical practices.
- Complications are lower: The fact that laser surgery is more precise minimises the cases of infection and complications as seen in traditional surgery.
- Rapid recovery: Patients can return to daily activities within a few days.
Laser treatment for piles is generally safe and effective; however, some possible risk factors may include:
- Infection Risk: There’s a low risk of infection at the treatment site
- Bleeding: There may be slight bleeding after the procedure, especially if proper postoperative care is not followed.
- Discomfort or Pain: There may be temporary discomfort or pain that is usually responsive to medication.
- Swelling: Swelling after piles laser surgery is common and mild in most cases.
- Recurrence: Piles can recur if lifestyle changes are not followed.
Is Laser Treatment for Piles Good or Bad?
Piles treatment in Bangalore using laser technology is minimally invasive and widely acclaimed. However, there is no guarantee that it will be completely pain-free and there will be no recurrence. So, is it good or bad?
Ultimately, the choice has to be determined by individual health conditions and preferences. Your healthcare provider can give you the best advice in this regard.
Diet for Piles
Patients with piles should know which food is good for piles. Apples, bananas, green vegetables, broccoli, brown rice, and legumes are good as they are rich sources of dietary fibre, making bowel movements smooth. Drinking an adequate amount of water is also necessary for gut health.
Often, the food you eat is the primary cause of piles. Learning which foods to avoid after piles surgery is crucial for proper post-operative care. Steer clear of spicy and processed foods that irritate the digestive tract and promote constipation. High amounts of dairy can cause bloating. Refined sugars and alcohol can irritate your gut and increase the chances of piles recurrence.
Home Remedies to Prevent Piles
Prevention of piles is possible through home remedies and lifestyle changes:
- Warm sitz baths soothe irritation and may reduce swelling in initial stages.
- Establish a daily routine to avoid straining during bowel movements. Take bathroom breaks based on your body’s natural urges.
- You can walk, do yoga, or do any other kind of exercise to aid digestion and prevent constipation.
- To have regular bowel movements, you should try to increase your fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes intake.
- Adequate water will make stool soft, thereby promoting digestive health.
Conclusion
Piles cause discomfort and also severe bleeding sometimes, but advanced treatments are helpful to manage the disease. Minimally invasive laser treatment for piles promotes faster healing compared to conventional approaches, thus decreasing pain and complications. Most patients have reported satisfaction with significant relief from symptoms. After surgery, a high-fibre diet, regular exercise, and effective home remedies are necessary. Consult your healthcare provider to choose the right treatment plan if you suffer from piles.
