Diathermy haemorrhoidectomy: reasons for a therapeutic choice.
BACKGROUND
Diathermy haemorrhoidectomy is an effective technique for the management of 2nd, 3rd and 4th degree haemorrhoids. The anal cushions are excised by use of diathermy without ligature of the vascular pedicles. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of this technique.


METHODS
Between September 1999 and September 2003, 84 patients with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th degree haemorrhoids underwent diathermy haemorrhoidectomy. Patients were discharged the same day or the day after. All the patients were asked to complete two questionnaires one on the level of pain they experienced and the other on their expectation of pain. Patients were followed-up for 1 to 4 years (range 12-48 months, mean 20.5).


RESULTS
The average pain severity score on a visual analogue scale (0-10) was 3.06 +/- 0.38 and consistently lower than expected. The majority of patients returned to their usual daily activities within 4 days and all of them returned to work within 11 days. A mild residual secretion persisted for 4 to 5 weeks. None of our patients experienced postoperative haemorrhage, complete stenosis or sphincteric disturbances.


CONCLUSIONS
Diathermy haemorrhoidectomy appears to be a safe, low cost and effective technique for the treatment of haemorrhoids. It is well tolerated by patients.
Falsetto
Alessandro
A
Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale e d'Urgenza, VI Divisione di Chirurgia Generale e d'Urgenza, II Università di Napoli. ale-fal@libero.it
De Pascale
Vito
V
Della Corte
Marcello
M
Castaldo
Nicola
N
Canero
Antonio
A
Cennamo
Antonio
A
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003972:Diathermy / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006484:Hemorrhoids / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D012449:Safety; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors