title: Aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid sclerotherapy for Goligher Grades II and III hemorrhoids: Results from a multicenter study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To show that aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid (ALTA) sclerotherapy has a high success rate for Grade II and III hemorrhoids.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was based on the clinical data of 604 patients with hemorrhoids who underwent ALTA sclerotherapy between January 2009 and February 2015. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of this treatment for Grades II and III hemorrhoids. Preoperative and postoperative symptoms, complications and success rate were all assessed retrospectively. Follow-up consisted of a simple questionnaire, physical examination and an anoscopy. Patients were followed-up at one day, one week, two weeks, one month, one year, two years, three years, four years and five years after the ALTA sclerotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and sixty-nine patients were diagnosed with Grade II hemorrhoids and 435 patients were diagnosed with Grade III hemorrhoids. The one year, three year and five year cumulative success rates of ALTA sclerotherapy for Grades II and III hemorrhoids were 95.9% and 93.1%; 89.3% and 83.7%; and 89.3% and 78.2%, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the cumulative success rates after ALTA sclerotherapy between Grades II and III hemorrhoids (P = 0.09). There were forty-seven post-operative complications (low grade fever; anal pain; urinary retention; rectal ulcer; and others). No serious or life-threatening complications occurred and all cases improved through conservative treatment. At univariate analysis there were no predictive factors of failure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ALTA sclerotherapy has had a high success rate for Grade II and III hemorrhoids during five years of post-operative treatment. However, additional studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of this ALTA sclerotherapy in the management of hemorrhoidal disease.
authors.affiliation: Hidenori Miyamoto, Department of Digestive and Pediatric Surgery, Institute of Health Bioscience, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.affiliation: Hidenori Miyamoto, Department of Digestive and Pediatric Surgery, Institute of Health Bioscience, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Takenori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hada
authors.affiliation: Hidenori Miyamoto, Department of Digestive and Pediatric Surgery, Institute of Health Bioscience, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Gentaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ishiyama
authors.affiliation: Hidenori Miyamoto, Department of Digestive and Pediatric Surgery, Institute of Health Bioscience, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.affiliation: Hidenori Miyamoto, Department of Digestive and Pediatric Surgery, Institute of Health Bioscience, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
keywords: Aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid; Goligher grade III; Hemorrhoid; Minimally invasive treatment; Sclerotherapy