36 SENIOR LIFESTYLE 18 OCTOBER 2015 Homecare, Healthcare & Mobility


London Colorectal Centre’s new, speedy treatments put an end to discomfort


Haemorrhoids or piles are very common, affecting one in three people. Piles can be caused by stress, constipation, obesity, pregnancy, or can run in your family. Symptoms may include blood aſter passing a stool and itchiness around the


anus. Tey’re found lining the lower


portion of the rectum and anus, and look like oval pink-bluish swellings. Piles are essentially enlarged cushions of


tissue supplied by six arteries in the rectal wall. Te swellings are made up of lots of tiny blood vessels that swell and contract, acting as a plug to help seal the back passage — which is important for controlling a healthy bowel function. Sometimes these can become swollen with blood and this increased pressure makes them uncomfortable and even painful. When these swellings move outside the body


— which is called a prolapse — they may be experienced as a tender lump. Most prolapsed haemorrhoids retract back into the rectum on their own. However, severely prolapsed piles may protrude permanently and require treatment.


Traditional treatments Te traditional approach to treating piles include creams, anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids and local anaesthetic, but these are oſten just a temporary measure. Another option is a ‘banding’procedure, in which an elastic band is placed around the haemorrhoids to try to cut off the blood supply, thus causing the tissue to die and fall off. Tis is not very precise and oſten proves to be only a short-term solution. Unfortunately, when piles are more advanced,


a haemorrhoidectomy — in which the piles are surgically cut off — is the only option. Tis can potentially leave large wounds around the anus, which can take around eight weeks to heal. Tere’s also the risk that by removing the piles, a degree of long-term incontinence may


If you or someone you know is suffering from symptoms of piles you can now book a consultation with Pasquale at the new London Colorectal Centre, Harley Street. To find out more visit thehaemorrhoidcentre.co.uk/london 19 Harley Street, London W1G 9QJ, T: 0800 066 5645


be suffered because the pads of tissues that are meant to help control the back passage have been taken away.


New solutions Individuals suffering from haemorrhoids oſten feel they have nowhere to turn out of embarrassment and/or fear of the pain associated with traditional treatments. As a result, they


suffer


routines to cope with the discomfort and mess that can result. “Tis doesn’t have to be the case any longer,”


in silence, developing


says Pasquale Giordano, consultant surgeon at the London Colorectal Centre. THD (transanal haemorrhoidal dearterialisation) is a scientifically proven, minimally invasive, safe and effective procedure for the treatment of haemorrhoids, as recognised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) since 2010.


Te procedure can be performed with or


without general anaesthetic, depending on the severity of symptoms, and takes 20-30 minutes, with most people returning to normal activities in less than five days. “Tis is a massive step forward for patients.


Te advantage is that you don’t have to cut any tissue, so they will feel much less pain than with open surgery and can recover more quickly,” says Giordano.


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