Recovery after Stapled Haemorrhoidectomy
You will be able to leave the hospital on the day of the surgery itself. This is usually after about 6-8 hours after the operation, when the effect of anaesthesia has gone. You should have urinated once before you can leave the hospital. This is because some people experience urinary retention (inability to urinate).
Your blood pressure and pulse will be monitored closely over the first few hours. You will normally be able to start drinking shortly after the procedure, and can start eating as soon as you are hungry. You will normally be able to get out of bed as soon as you feel well enough.
Normal recovery from Stapled Hemorrhoidectomy (PPH) will take about 1 week. As some pain is expected after the surgery, you will usually be prescribed some pain-killers. You might also be prescribed some antibiotic to prevent infections. You might also be prescribed some stool softeners.
Recurrence of haemorrhoids is rare after stapled Hemorrhoidectomy (PPH). Some bleeding, especially in the first bowel action is normal. You will be asked to use ice packs for the anal region to reduce swelling and pain. Numbing medicines to relieve pain can also be applied before and after bowel movements. You should also take warm water soaks to help relieve pains.
Your diet should be high fibre along with lots of liquids. Also make it a point to report for your follow-up with the surgeon to check for any problems.
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Post-operative Care following a Stapled Haemorrhoidectomy procedure
Following your procedure there are a number of things of which you need to be aware.
Diet
There are no dietary restrictions after a haemorrhoidectomy but if you feel sick sip water only or contact your surgeon. It is recommended that you drink at least 2-3L of water a day and avoid any food you know may upset your stomach.
Discomfort
It is inevitable that you will experience some discomfort following your surgery. Long acting local anaesthetic will have been injected into the operation site but this will wear off after a few hours. Before it wears off it is important to have some painkillers onboard so please take these soon after arriving home and continue taking them on a regular basis, especially during the first 48 hours. As your level of discomfort eases with time then these only need to be taken as required. You will be given either the tablets to take home or a prescription for Panadeine Forte or Nurofen. Take these as directed on the packet and do not exceed the dose.
Bowel activity
You cannot stop your bowel from working and it is important that you resume a regular bowel habit as before. There is a tendency towards constipation so make sure you drink plenty of water in the immediate post-operative period and a fibre supplement such as Metamucil, Mucilax or Normocol (available from your pharmacy without prescription). You will also be given a prescription for Coloxyl which is a stool softener. Please take this regularly for the first week. Opening your bowels will tend to increase the discomfort level initially but will be helped by once again taking your painkillers regularly. There is a small sausage-roll type pack sitting within the anal canal following the surgery and this will be passed with the first bowel motion. There will be some dark coloured blood with it so don’t be alarmed. Subsequent bowel motions for the first 48hrs will probably be small in amount.
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Bleeding
Bleeding from the back passage, particularly with a bowel motion, is not at all unexpected. Occasionally you may get some bleeding that occurs between bowel motions. If you do see blood, do not be alarmed. You should where a pad if you think that possible leakage might be a problem. If you think that the bleeding is excessive then it is important to rest. If having done this the bleeding continues, particularly if you start to feel light-headed then contact your doctor. If he is not immediately available then you should contact either your GP or the emergency department at your local hospital. I should stress that this scenario is most unusual.
Infection
The operation site is within an area that is relatively dirty. Having said that infection is unusual. To help combat this you will be given some antibiotics on the operating table and you will either be given some antibiotics to take home or a prescription which you should take to your local pharmacy. It is important to take these as instructed on the packet and to complete the course. Excessive pain beyond 5 days possibly suggests an infection that is not controlled by the antibiotics. Under these circumstances once again contact your doctor.
Certainly if you feel unwell, feverish or you start to vomit after the first few days of surgery please contact your doctor as a matter of urgency.
Physical Activity (including sexual activity)
It is important to rest after your surgery – the more activity you do the greater the level of discomfort and the longer it will take to recover from your surgery. Nevertheless it is important to maintain some activity and certainly moving around the house and going for short walks is perfectly acceptable. How quickly you resume your normal day to day activities are very much based on common sense and should largely be guided by your level of discomfort. Activities such as house work, shopping and driving around should be left to somebody else for the first few days. Within a couple of weeks you should be able to resume your normal day to day activities. Activities such as going to the gym should be resumed on a gradual basis after a couple of weeks.
Please call immediately for advice if the following occurs:
. Excessive bleeding (initially apply firm pressure to the area for 15-20 minutes).
. Excessive swelling in the anal region.
. Increasing or excessive pain.
. Excessive discharge from the anal region.
. You feel you are becoming constipated.
Sources:
. https://brisbanesurgeon.com.au/procedures/stapled-haemorrhoidectomy
. https://www.gastrosurgery.co.uk/stapled-hemorrhoidectomy/
It’s nice to know that it will only take about a week to recover from a hemorrhoidectomy procedure. My husband is thinking about getting checked for hemorrhoids soon because he feels some pain whenever he goes to the toilet. It’s a good thing that he is still currently working from home so the recovery period might not affect his job so much.
It’s nice to know that it will only take about a week to recover from a hemorrhoidectomy procedure. My husband is thinking about getting checked for hemorrhoids soon because he feels some pain whenever he goes to the toilet. It’s a good thing that he is still currently working from home so the recovery period might not affect his job so much. comnt
I have had a large haemorrhoid surgically removed about 8 weeks ago which required a staple(s) and stitches. Although the discomfort has all but gone and I am taking senna so I have no constipation, I can still feel the staples are there when I rub in the prescribed cream. Will they eventually go or will they become a permanent fixture embedded in my anal canal?
Hello. Since this operation in its way can have complications that only your surgeon is aware of and we do not know the history of your illness, we recommend that you visit your doctor and discuss the issue with him.