UNKNOWN FACTS OF HAEMORRHOIDS: A LITERATURE REVIEW

*Dr. Yogesh Velani and Dr. Pratik Ruparkar

ABSTRACT

The lining of the anal canal contains three soft, spongy pads of tissue that act as an extra seal to keep the canal closed until you go to the lavatory. The lining of the gut is very slimy (so that faeces can pass along easily); the extra seal stops the slime (mucus) from leaking out. The pads contain a network of tiny blood vessels. What are piles? People sometimes think that piles (haemorrhoids) are like varicose veins of the legs (i.e. a single vein that has become swollen). This is not the case. A pile is one of the soft pads that have slipped downwards slightly, because the surrounding tissue is not holding it in place properly. When this happens, the small blood vessels within the cushion become engorged with blood, so the cushion swells up. When faeces are passed, the pile may be pushed further down the anal canal to the outside, and this is called a prolapsed pile. There are several different operations for piles. In the usual operation, the swollen spongy pad that forms the pile is cut away. It is painful for 7–10 days afterwards. A newer operation, called ‘stapling’, involves cutting away a 2 cm strip of the lining of the rectum and joining the cut edges with a special stapler. People seem to recover quicker from ‘stapling’ than from the ordinary operation. It is not yet a common operation in the UK, but it is popular in the rest of Europe. Although it is less painful than the ordinary operation, it seems to be less effective in the long-term, but more research is needed.

Keywords: Anopexy, Haemorrhoids, Treatment