Table of Contents
- What is Sclerotherapy?
- Description of Treatment
- Benefits of using sclerotherapy for hemorrhoids over other treatments
- Risks & Side Effects
- Take away
What is Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy also called ‘scleroinjection‘ and ‘sclera treatment‘ is a non-surgical form of treatment used by doctors to treat hemorrhoids. The sclerosant is a solution injected into the vein via a needle or surgically through small incisions, targeting the walls of the vein to damage or block it. Sclerosants are drugs that cause the walls of blood vessels to become scar tissue.
Sclerotherapy is one of the most effective methods of treatment and is recommended for grade 1 & grade 2 internal hemorrhoids.
Description of Treatment
The procedure is performed by an endovascular specialist under local anaesthesia. The doctor inserts a needle into the affected vein and injects medication to cause scarring and reduce the size of the vein.
During sclerotherapy treatment for piles, a solution made of saline (saltwater) and/or medication is injected into the affected veins. This causes them to shrink and close over time. Depending on your condition, you might have one or several injections during each session.
The number of sessions required for effective treatment varies by person and by the severity of your hemorrhoids. Sessions typically are scheduled at regular intervals (such as once per week) for six weeks or more until your doctor determines that your condition has improved enough.
It’s important that you give yourself time to recover from this procedure. You may have pain or swelling, which should subside after a few days, but you should be careful when exercising, particularly if you’re doing strenuous activity such as running or cycling. You’ll also feel tired after treatment, which might affect your sleep for up to two weeks, so make sure you get enough rest.
Benefits of using sclerotherapy for hemorrhoids over other treatments:
- Clean, non-invasive treatment: No incisions and no scars.
- Very effective at clearing piles in the short term – generally, you’ll see results after just one treatment. But how long they last varies from person to person. Around two-thirds of people will find their symptoms clear up within three months, while around one in five takes a year or more to feel completely better.
- Relatively low risk of complications: Injecting solutions into the skin carries some risk of infection, bruising, and swelling, but with proper training, these risks are relatively low.
- This procedure can be performed in the doctor’s office or clinic and does not require any hospitalization. Many patients choose this procedure because it offers relief from symptoms like bleeding, itching, and burning; it is also non-invasive and therefore has less risk of complications.
- Effective for large areas Sclerotherapy can treat large areas at once. Treatment for a single leg could take only 30 minutes.
- No downtime: You may be able to resume normal activities immediately after treatment. Full results from sclerotherapy may not be visible for several weeks or months. The affected vein should gradually fade away, though it may take several treatments before it disappears.
Risks & Side Effects
- The most common side effect of sclerotherapy is a stinging sensation or mild burning sensation in the treated area during, immediately after, or a few hours after the treatment.
- Bleeding – This is one of the major risk factors involved with sclerotherapy. Bleeding may occur due to many factors like strain during bowel movement, dehydration, or age. If bleeding occurs within the first 24 hours after the procedure then it is not a cause of worry, but if bleeding continues even after 48 hours then you should visit your doctor immediately.
- Pain – Another common risk factor associated with sclerotherapy is pain. Usually, the pain subsides after 10 days and takes around six weeks to completely heal. However, severe pain may indicate a severe injury and you should seek medical attention immediately.
- Infection – Infections may occur following surgical procedures and in this case, you should visit your doctor as soon as possible. The infection could also lead to sepsis which might require hospitalization so
- Occasionally patients can develop an ulcer in the treated area which heals with time.
- The treated area may itch or throb for a short while and they might become more visible as they shrink.
Take Away
If you have been suffering from piles and the symptoms related to them, take a look at sclerotherapy for hemorrhoids, which can be effective in controlling this problem. At Vitality’s Laser Piles Clinic, our specialists provide the best quality treatment care and services for piles. With some of the most experienced specialists in Hyderabad and state of the art equipment, there is no need for you to keep on worrying about piles.
Get in touch with us at Laser Piles Clinic as soon as possible so that we can start the treatment. Click https://laserpiles.com/piles-laser-treatment-hyderabad/ or call 910 850 3674 / 7799 016 016 for us to help you locate the branch nearest to you.