Hemorrhoid Surgery Doesn’t Deserve Its Bad Reputation

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 30-year-old, and otherwise healthy, grandson has been suffering from, and treating, hemorrhoids for two years. He is anemic due to his loss of blood. He’s had several bandings; they couldn’t complete the last one because he was in too much pain. They said they couldn’t anesthetize the area because his lack of feeling would prevent them from knowing if they were near a nerve. So, now they say he should have surgery, although it is said to be quite painful and difficult.

Do you agree that they can’t anesthetize the area for banding, and is the surgery as horrible to deal with as they say? Under what conditions would you say it is advisable to have the surgery? -- A.P.

ANSWER: Most people with a banding procedure do not need anesthesia, and nerve blocks are not used in hemorrhoidal banding because a feeling of pain is a useful indication that the band is not in the best position. When home treatments and office procedures (like banding, scleral therapy or infrared coagulation) are ineffective or can’t be used, it is time to consider surgical treatment. The surgery’s reputation of being “horrific” is undeserved. I have had several patients in the last few years undergo this surgical procedure, and although they have certainly had a few days of pain after the procedure, all have been happy with the outcomes. Surgeons often use long-acting local anesthetics, and the pain is greatly reduced when they are combined with better surgical procedures, compared to older surgical techniques and anesthesia.

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Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual questions, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu. © 2023 North America Synd., Inc.

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* On July 14, 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett kills Henry McCarty, known as Billy the Kid. Garrett had been tracking the Kid for three months after the gunslinger escaped from prison only days before his scheduled execution. At the trial, the judge had sentenced Billy the Kid to hang until “you are dead, dead, dead.” Billy reportedly responded, “And you can go to hell, hell, hell.”

* On July 15, 1903, the newly formed Ford Motor Company takes its first order, an $850 two-cylinder Model A automobile with a backseat. The car, produced at Ford’s plant in Detroit, was delivered a week later.

* On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opens on former orange groves in Anaheim, California. Due to counterfeit invitations, thousands showed up and the opening did not go well. Food and drink ran out, and the steamboat nearly capsized from too many passengers.

Pure joy!

Many thanks to the fine ladies that volunteer at Avon’s Livingston County Humane Society. They allowed me to take a kitten to visit a dear friend at the Avon nursing home. She and some others enjoyed the kitten and a worker there may possibly adopt “George”! Please keep them in mind if you are looking to give a cat or kitten a furever home or even if you could provide foster care, they supply all the kitty’s necessities. Their dedication is appreciated by many.

Floral Beauty!

Thank you to the volunteers in the towns and parks that maintain the flower beds, everything is looking so wonderful this year!

Byrne Dairy - Geneseo

I would like to recognize Paul at Byrne Dairy in Geneseo. Paul goes above and beyond to keep the business clean, neat, items organized, and keeps fresh food stocked and if not available on the shelf, he will make it for customers. All employers could benefit from someone like Paul. Kudos to you, Paul...keep up the good work.

Concert prices

Why are concert prices skyrocketing?! The artists are just pricing out the little people who cannot shell out hundreds of dollars for a single evening out. Add to the $100 on a single seat, $10 for a bottled water or $20+ for anything else, that’s a solid day’s pay for a lot of people who would love to check out live music. No wonder people choose other options for their free time. I understand there’s a lot of hands in the pot, a lot of people who make the event happen, and salaries on top of venue costs, but when every person in a 10,000 person crowd paid a good $100 for that evening’s event, that’s a whopping $100,000 just for one event, not to mention the major profit of the food and beverage sales. Kinda outrageous, don’t ya think?

Do not judge by appearances!

As per the abuse of handicap parking signs: Perhaps it does exist, and I too get upset when I see people who seems to be without a need using the spaces. However, I am one of those whose health needs are not obvious. I have two very bad knees, as documented by X-rays. I have chronic insomnia which leaves me very weak and fatigued all the time. I need to park as closely as possible in order to get to a store. Using a cane does not work for me, because I also have poor balance. Although there may be a misuse of these signs, my doctor knows that I am truthful. I do use my sign. What bothers me is when people use these spaces without the needed signage to prove their need. As our population ages, we’ll need more of these spaces. May our society grow in courtesy toward those in need because it is seriously lacking!

HOW

Space: love provide. But seniors can take a walk through their homes and see how many rooms they still use on a consistent basis. If much of the home is unused, seniors can probably downsize without adversely affecting their daily lives.