title: A retrospective analysis of short and long term efficacy of RBL for hemorrhoids.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rubber band ligation is an effective treatment for hemorrhoids. A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate its short and long-term efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2000 to 2008, 254 outpatients with II- degree and 114 with III-degree hemorrhoids underwent rubber band ligation. Two or three hemorrhoids were ligated per session. Each haemorrhoid was ligated with two rubber bands through a ligator. All patients were visited after two months and followed up through a telephone after two and eleven years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four or forty-eight hours post treatment, 41% of patients had mild-moderate pain. Four patients showed severe pain and required for haemorrhoidectomy within a few days. Only 2% of patients experienced self-limiting rectal bleeding after one week and 6% of patients had an additional ligation within two months. Two months later, 92% of II-degree patients and 76% of III-degree patients showed no residual symptoms. After two and eleven years, the history of 314 patients (85%) were obtained, of them, 70% was asymptomatic, 27% had some residual symptoms of occasional bleeding and prolapse, and 3% needed further surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rubber band ligation is an efficient, cost-effective and simple outpatient procedure for the second and third degree hemorrhoids with minimal complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of TCM for Anorectal Disease, Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao tong University, Shanghai, China. linyuanlu01@gmail.com.
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006484:Hemorrhoids / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors