During the brief and painless procedure, our physician specialist places a small rubber band around the tissue just above the hemorrhoid where there are few pain-sensitive nerve endings. Unlike traditional banding techniques that use a metal-toothed clamp to grasp the tissue, we use a gentle suction device, reducing the risk of pain and bleeding.

Our banding procedure works by cutting off the blood supply to the hemorrhoid. This causes the hemorrhoid to shrink and fall off, typically within a day or so. You probably won’t even notice when this happens or be able to spot the rubber band in the toilet. Once the hemorrhoid is gone, the wound usually heals in a week or two.

During the first 24 hours, some patients may experience a feeling of fullness or a dull ache in the rectum. This can typically be relieved with an over-the-counter pain medication. A remarkable 99.8% of patients treated with our method have no post-procedure pain, however. Any pain should be reported to your physician as soon as it is noticed.

In fact, thanks to design improvements, our procedure has a ten-fold reduction in complications compared to traditional banding.

For one, our instruments are smaller, affording greater comfort for patients and better visibility for physicians. Unlike other devices, they are also single use and 100% disposable.

After Care

Following hemorrhoid banding, we recommend that you rest at home for the remainder of the day and resume full activity the next day. You can have normal bowel movements during this time, but you may want to soak in a sitz bath (a warm tub with a tablespoon of table salt added) or use to a bidet for a gentler cleansing of the anal opening.

Soon you’ll be feeling much better, but you’ll need to make some changes to prevent future problems. Straining due to constipation should be diligently avoided, so be sure to drink seven or eight glasses of water (around 50 ounces) a day and add two tablespoons of natural oat or wheat bran to your diet. (Metamucil, Benefiber, flax or other soluble fiber may be helpful as well.)

We also recommend that you not sit longer than two minutes on the toilet. If you can’t have a bowel movement in that time, come back later. This two-minute rule can help keep you from straining during bowel movements without realizing it. Finally, when traveling by air, stay hydrated, avoid alcohol, eat fiber and walk around when you can.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What are hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins located in the lower rectum or anus. There are two types of hemorrhoids: internal and external. Depending on the location, symptoms may include pain, inflammation, itching, and a feeling of fullness following a bowel movement. Additionally, there may be bright red blood covering the stool, on the toilet tissue or in the toilet bowl.

2. What causes hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids result from an increase in pressure in the veins of the rectum. This may be caused by constipation, pregnancy, childbirth, obesity, heavy lifting, long periods of sitting, or diarrhea. In Western countries, constipation is associated with diets low in fiber and high in fat.

3. Who gets hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids affect both men and women. The incidence of hemorrhoids increases after age 30, and by age 50, about half of the population will have experienced the condition.

4. How does the procedure work?
A small disposable syringe like device is used to attach a tiny rubber band around the internal hemorrhoid – with the blood supply cut off, the hemorrhoid dies and falls off.

5. Can you treat external hemorrhoids?
Yes. Most hemorrhoidal symptoms are from dilated internal hemorrhoids and/or anal fissures. The banding of internal hemorrhoids usually shrinks the external hemorrhoids as well and is highly effective in relieving the symptoms of pain and bleeding. After banding is completed there may be an external component or skin tag that persists, but usually they do not cause much in the way of symptoms.

6. How many bands are necessary?
There are three sites where hemorrhoids form frequently, and it is not uncommon for all three sites to require treatment. We generally only band one hemorrhoid site at a time in separate visits, as multiple bandings have been found to increase complications. Also, some extreme large hemorrhoids may require additional banding sessions. Thus, as many as six bands total may be used in severe cases, but one to three is standard

7. Is it effective?
Yes it is 99.1% effective, and the best thing is that it is non-surgical, so there is no pain, medication or recovery time needed. Most of our patients go back to work the same or next day.

8. How long will this take?
The procedure takes about 60 seconds, but the entire visit is about 15-30 minutes.

9. Is the procedure covered by Insurance?
Although insurance coverage varies, the procedure is covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare.

10. Will it hurt?
No. Thanks to our improved instrument and technique, band placement is painless. You may experience a feeling of fullness or dull ache in the rectum for the first 24 hours, but this can generally be relieved by over-the-counter pain medication. A recent study of our banding technique shows that 99.8% of patients experience no post-procedure pain.

11. Will I have to miss work or other activities?
Your first appointment in our office will probably be the longest, as it involves a consultation, medical history and diagnosis. We suggest you allot up to an hour. Subsequent treatment sessions will be shorter, around 15-30 minutes total. After a hemorrhoid banding procedure, we recommend that you rest the remainder of the day at home and resume full activity the next day. However, many patients with office jobs find they can return to work immediately following their appointment.

12. Will I need to do any preparation at home prior to the procedure?
No prep is needed prior to the procedure.

13. Will I need a driver or can I drive home myself?
You will not need a driver, in fact most patients return to normal activity immediately following the procedure.

14. Will the hemorrhoids come back after the treatment?
With proper dietary changes the hemorrhoids should not return.

For more information about the CRH O’Regan System™ please visit www.crhsystem.com