Hello, I have my surgery scheduled for Thursday of next week, but after reading these forums I am not so sure I want to go through with it.
About my case: After the exam, the doctor said I have 3 internal hemorrhoids (I only knew about 1 which made me go to the doctor). Two stage 2 ones, and One stage 3 one. The stage 3 one pops out whenever I have a BM, and I put some prep-H on it and push it back inside. Its about grape sized. Its a little painful to have the BM and then push it back in, depending on how easy the BM was (it can be very painful if it was a hard BM), and there will be like an hour of lingering pain afterwards. Usually no bleeding, but occasionally a few drops. In my daily life I can feel the stage 3 one, its a constant maybe 1 or 2 (3 at most) on the pain scale, so not a big deal. What is also normal for me is a BM once ever 3-4 days. Its been like that for my whole life, but my BMs are usually pretty easy. Just a few seconds on the toilet and then cleanup.
I asked the nurse, and she said its possible for an easy recovery, or a hard one, and there really is no way to predict which it will be. It goes by a person to person basis. She said the doctor will be using a Harmonic Scalpel, which cauterizes the wound as it cuts, so there usually is no need for stitches afterwards. I dont know if this reduces the amount of pain for the recovery.
I have anxiety and depression and take meds for that, including klonopin.
Now I have had a hemorrhoid procedure in the past, about 2 years ago, but it was a strange case. I dont remember exactly what the procedure was, but Im pretty sure it wasnt an actual Hemorrhoidectomy. It might have been one of the other removal options. I was put to sleep for it, and had an iv and was in the hospital for a few hours afterwards. What I do remember is what happened after. The first day I felt totally fine, but day 2 turned into a nightmare. I went into the surgery (and I only say surgery because I was put to sleep for the procedure), to take care of 1 hemorrhoid that was bothering me. When the doctor went inside me, there was apparently 3 other dormant hemorrhoids that he decided not to touch. Well the process of the operation caused those dormant hemorrhoids to be active, and it was a nightmare. I had 3 permanent external hemorrhoids, 2 grape and 1 walnut sized. The pain was excruciating, BMs were horrible, sitz bath or showers did nothing, and the pain meds made me constipated so I had to go off them. Nothing at all helped. I got prescribed suppositories, that I had to stick up my butt every few hours, and they did nothing. For a month I was completely bed ridden, and in misrible pain. And ha to lay on my stomach with my ass up in the air all day. It was the worst pain I ever experienced. BUT I did have a friend that took care of me every day, making me food and fetching my meds and stuff, and that helped. Eventually the hemorrhoids shrunk and went back inside on their own, and I returned to normal. A year later, one of those hemorrhoids inflamed again, and now it pops out after every BM, but I can push it back inside where it doesnt hurt much.
So my question is, should I go through with the Hemorrhoidectomy? I dont have anyone to take care of me, Im on my own. I dont want to go through that horrible experience ever again. Do you guys think that this recovery will be better then the previous one? What I was recovering from was not the same as a Hemorrhoidectomy (I think). I wish I knew the exact procedure I went though, but all I remember is that it was called a procedure, and not a surgery. Will a Harmonic Scalpel make any difference? I used to have a good pain threshold, but I guess its become worse over the years and I kinda consider myself to be pretty wimpy now.
Edit: Update. After a huge hassle, I managed to get my medical records. The old surgery I had was in 2016, and it was the excision of 2 anal papilla. The notes say that one of the papilla was nestled on top of the lower end of an internal hemorrhoid. And that the papilla were removed using a Bovie, and closed with a 3-0 chromic catgut in a figure 8 suture. It also notes that I had 2 internal hemorrhoids.
And what happened was the surgery caused the hemorrhoids to inflame greatly.
So what I went through was papilla surgery recovery (which I cant find any info on anywhere), on top of severe inflamed external hemorrhoids.
Do you guys think that would be worse or better then a Hemorrhoidectomy?