Does the surgical removal of external hemorrhoids hurt?

Written by Yu Xu Chao
Colorectal Surgery
Updated on March 08, 2025
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Surgical removal of external hemorrhoids generally does not cause significant pain because anesthesia is required for the procedure. There are options for anesthesia, including local infiltration anesthesia, spinal anesthesia, or general anesthesia via intravenous injection, ensuring the patient does not experience notable pain during the surgery. However, post-surgery sensitivity is higher because the external hemorrhoids are innervated by perineal nerves. Therefore, it is crucial to use pain relief medication appropriately when changing dressings to alleviate discomfort. Additionally, it is essential to prevent infection, inflammation, or swelling of the wound to reduce postoperative pain. Patients should also manage their bowel movements to avoid dry, hard stools; smooth bowel movements can somewhat relieve postoperative pain. If the pain is particularly severe, the use of diclofenac sodium suppositories for anal insertion can help reduce inflammation and pain. (Please follow medical advice regarding medication use.)

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Written by Deng Heng
Colorectal Surgery
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Can anal dilation treat external hemorrhoids?

Anal dilation cannot treat external hemorrhoids. Anal dilation, also known as anal canal dilation surgery, is a common surgical treatment method in proctology. It primarily involves using external force to increase the diameter of the anal canal in order to achieve the purpose of dilation. It is mainly used for patients with early-stage anal fissures and anal stenosis. External hemorrhoids, which grow below the dentate line of the anal canal skin, are not affected by anal dilation treatments.

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Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
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How to eliminate the flesh balls of external hemorrhoids

External hemorrhoids primarily manifest as local skin tags or connective tissue protrusions, which may also be due to transient congestion and edema caused by acute episodes. If the hemorrhoids are skin tag-type or connective tissue-type and do not present any clinical symptoms or affect the patient's normal life, excessive treatment is generally not required. It is only necessary to maintain good dietary and defecation habits to prevent the condition from worsening. If the external hemorrhoids involve congestion, edema, or pain caused by thrombosis, complete removal can only be achieved through surgical excision. Merely using topical medications, applying heat, or using hemorrhoid creams can only reduce the size of the masses or alleviate symptoms, but cannot completely remove the masses.

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Written by Deng Heng
Colorectal Surgery
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Do external hemorrhoids always require surgery?

Simple external hemorrhoids do not necessarily require surgery. External hemorrhoids are mainly those that grow below the dentate line, and their main clinical manifestation is a foreign body sensation in the anus, which does not pose a significant risk to the body. Only thrombosed external hemorrhoids with obvious anal pain may not require surgery if the lump is small, as the thrombus can be absorbed on its own. Only those with large lumps need to have the thrombus removed to alleviate pain.

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Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
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Can thrombotic external hemorrhoids go away?

Thrombotic external hemorrhoids mainly refer to the formation of blood clots within the external hemorrhoids located around the anus. During the acute phase of thrombotic external hemorrhoids, there is generally severe pain and a feeling of distension in the anal region. If not treated with medication, thrombotic external hemorrhoids are difficult to resolve on their own. Options include applying hemorrhoid cream or using traditional Chinese medicine solutions for fumigation and hot compresses to promote the absorption and dissipation of the blood clots in the external hemorrhoids. If conservative medication does not yield good results, surgery can be considered to strip and remove the blood clots from the external hemorrhoids. Failure to use medications can potentially lead to a worsening of the thrombotic external hemorrhoids, or an increase in blood clots leading to necrosis and delaying treatment of the disease.

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Written by Deng Heng
Colorectal Surgery
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What causes external hemorrhoids to itch?

External hemorrhoids are hypertrophic skin tags at the anal margin and surrounding skin, or dilation of the subcutaneous venous plexus leading to blood stasis and thrombus formation, resulting in protruding lesions. According to their characteristics, they can be divided into connective tissue external hemorrhoids, thrombotic external hemorrhoids, varicose external hemorrhoids, and inflammatory external hemorrhoids. In particular, inflammatory external hemorrhoids can cause the surrounding skin to become moist. This moisture can lead to the formation of eczema and pruritic diseases in the surrounding skin, causing skin lesions. One of the main features after skin lesions is itching around the skin surrounding the external hemorrhoids.