Haemorrhoids treatment
We offer a range of first-class treatments for internal and external haemorrhoids. These include non-surgical and surgical procedures that are effective at reducing and stopping symptoms such as pain, itching and general discomfort.
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What is it for?
Treat internal and external haemorrhoids
Treatment overview
Haemorrhoids (also known as piles) is a very common condition, affecting up to 1 in 3 people in the UK.
A haemorrhoid is a swollen vein inside and around your bottom (rectum and anus). They can cause pain, anal itching and rectal bleeding.
At The London Clinic, we offer a range of safe and effective procedures to treat external and internal haemorrhoids.
Our multidisciplinary team of clinical specialists can help you decide the right choice of treatment for you.
Contact us today to find out more about our haemorrhoid treatment options, and start your five-star journey with The London Clinic.
Non-surgical treatments for haemorrhoids
Medication Creams and suppositories (inserted into the rectum) can help to relieve haemorrhoids symptoms such as pain or itching.
Some haemorrhoid creams contain steroids, which help reduce swelling, and you can use them for up to a week.
Banding (rubber band ligation)
If your haemorrhoids are getting bigger or more painful, your doctor may recommend banding.
This involves a surgeon placing very small bands in the rectum around the haemorrhoid to cut off its blood supply. The haemorrhoid then shrinks.
Within one to two weeks, the remains of the haemorrhoid and the bands will drop off and you will pass them out of your body.
Rubber band ligation usually doesn’t need an anaesthetic, and most people can get back to their normal activities the next day.
Injections (sclerotherapy)
A treatment called sclerotherapy may be used as an alternative to banding.
During sclerotherapy, your doctor injects a chemical solution into the blood vessels in your back passage. This relieves pain by blocking off the blood vessels and causing the tissue to die.
As with banding, the haemorrhoid should decrease in size or shrivel up. The affected area should then heal over to form a scar.
Surgical treatments for haemorrhoids
Conventional haemorrhoidectomy
This traditional type of surgery involves your haemorrhoids being surgically removed while you’re asleep with a general anaesthetic.
Cuts are made in the tissue around a haemorrhoid. The swollen vein inside the haemorrhoid is tied off to prevent bleeding and the haemorrhoid is then removed.
After carrying out a haemorrhoidectomy, there’s a 1 in 20 chance of the haemorrhoids coming back, which is lower than non-surgical treatments.
Pain around the anus is common for a few days after this procedure, but you can take painkillers to manage this.
Stapled haemorrhoidopexy or stapling
Stapling is an effective alternative to a conventional haemorrhoidectomy, and is carried out under general anaesthetic.
Your surgeon will staple your haemorrhoids to the wall of your anal canal to reduce their blood supply. Over time, this should make them smaller.
Compared with a conventional haemorrhoidectomy, this procedure has a shorter recovery time and you should feel less pain after your operation.
However, there’s a chance haemorrhoids will return in the future.
Haemorrhoidal artery ligation
Your doctor may also refer to this procedure as HALO (haemorrhoidal artery ligation operation) or THD (transanal haemorrhoidal dearterialisation).
You’ll first be given a general anaesthetic to send you to sleep. Your surgeon will use an ultrasound to identify arteries (blood vessels) supplying blood to a haemorrhoid.
They’ll then use stitches (sutures) to cut off the blood supply to a haemorrhoid, which should cause it to shrink.
Rafaelo® procedure
Rafaelo is a revolutionary treatment that uses high-frequency radio waves to treat haemorrhoids.
It involves your consultant inserting a small device into your back passage called a proctoscope. This allows your surgeon to examine your haemorrhoids.
Your surgeon then passes a special needle probe (the Rafaelo probe) through the proctoscope into the cushion of a haemorrhoid.
Radiofrequency energy is then passed through the Rafaelo probe to treat the haemorrhoid.
The aim is to limit the blood supply to the haemorrhoid to cause it to shrink and fall away, relieving you of your symptoms.
Why choose The London Clinic
Excellence in one place
The London Clinic, in collaboration with Northwestern Medicine, operate as teams of experts with world-class resources, dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of care. Supported by the latest treatments, expert guidance, and a comfortable recovery environment in our patient rooms, you'll have everything you need to regain your best health.
Personal care, every time
Exceptional patient care is a way of life for us. We’ll be with you every step of the way, tailoring your care to your specific needs, including healthy and delicious meals designed to support your recovery. We keep our staff-to-patient ratio low, so our nurses, clinicians, therapists, and support teams can offer a personalised, quality experience.
Effortlessly simple
We work together as one to guide you through every step of your patient experience. From explaining your personal treatment plan to ensuring all details are taken care of, we make the process stress-free, so you can focus on your health. Whether it’s your first consultation or follow-up care, our teams are here to provide seamless support and the peace of mind you deserve.
What's included in your package?
Choosing The London Clinic means your treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.
Your treatment package will include:
- Enhanced pre-admission assessment
- Your treatment with our complete care team at your fingertips
- Personalised aftercare and follow-up
We want you to be in control of your health. That’s why we also offer optional services such as comprehensive recovery packages and extra touches for you to choose from during your stay with us. To help you manage the cost, we also offer a 0% finance option, allowing you to spread the payments for your treatment over 12 months with no added interest. Learn more about our finance options here.
How to pay
- You can use private medical insurance (PMI) to access this treatment. We work with all major PMI providers in the UK and many internationally
- You can pay for yourself (self-pay)
- If you’re paying for yourself, we have 0% finance options available with Chrysalis. Find out more here.
FAQs
Haemorrhoids, also known as piles, are swollen blood vessels inside or around the bottom (rectum and anus).
They often get better after a few days, or you may be able to treat them with medicines bought from a pharmacy.
Sometimes haemorrhoids can affect the way you live and, at that stage, they need to be treated at a hospital.
Haemorrhoids are caused by the veins around your anus becoming swollen and stretching under pressure. The veins may start to bulge and cause pain.
Haemorrhoids can develop from increased pressure in the lower rectum due to:
- Straining while you’re having a poo
- Sitting for a long time on the toilet
- Having chronic diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Being obese
- Being pregnant
- Having anal sex
- Eating a low-fibre diet
- Regular heavy lifting
As you get older, your risk of developing haemorrhoids increases. This is because the veins around your back package get weaker and lose their structure over time.
This can also happen to you when you're pregnant because your baby's weight puts pressure on the anal region and stretches the tissues in that area.
When you have haemorrhoids, you might have symptoms such as:
- Feeling itchy around your anus
- Red blood on the tissue when you wipe your bottom
- Sticky clear mucus coming out of your back passage
- Pain when you try to poop and it lingers afterwards
- Being unable to finish emptying your bowels
- Swollen or bulging veins on the inside or outside of your anus
Haemorrhoids can be treated depending on your specific circumstances and whether you need surgical, medical or non-medical treatment.
If you’re pregnant, your haemorrhoids should settle down after you’ve given birth. You can take painkillers or use creams to help with pain or itching under the guidance of a doctor.
If you’re constipated and strain when having a poo, changing what you eat and using a laxative when needed can help.
If your haemorrhoids have only recently developed, your doctor may advise a non-surgical treatment.
Haemorrhoids that keep coming back or don’t get better with non-surgical procedures may need surgical treatment, as recommended by your doctor.
In most cases, your doctor will also advise lifestyle changes to prevent haemorrhoids in future. These include:
- Eating more fibre, fruits and vegetables on a daily basis
- Drinking enough water each day to meet your activity needs
- Going to the toilet as you feel the urge to go
Your recovery from haemorrhoid treatment will depend on the type of procedure you’ve had, and how fit and healthy you are before your treatment.
For example, it usually takes one to three weeks to recover from a conventional haemorrhoidectomy. But you may be able to return to your normal activities the day after you’re treated with the Rafaelo procedure.
Whatever your circumstances, we’ll give you first-class support and guidance to help you have a safe and quick recovery.
Your care team will also be available to answer your questions and provide reassurance before, during and after your treatment.