Results of 7302 stapled haemorrhoidectomy operations in a single centre: a seven-year review and follow-up questionnaire survey

Japanese Practice Guidelines for Anal Disorders I. Hemorrhoids

The pathogenesis of hemorrhoids is a weakening of the anal cushion and spasm of the internal sphincter. Bowel habits and lifestyles can be risk factors for hemorrhoids. The prevalence of hemorrhoids can encompass 4 to 55% of the population. Symptoms include bleeding, pain, prolapsing, swelling, itching, and mucus soiling. The diagnosis of hemorrhoids requires taking a thorough history and conducting an anorectal examination. Goligher's classification, which indicates the degree of prolapsing with internal hemorrhoids, is useful for choosing treatment. Drug therapy for hemorrhoids is typically utilized for bleeding, pain, and swelling. Ligation and excision (LE) is considered for Grade III and IV internal and external hemorrhoids. Rubber band ligation is used to treat up to Grade III internal hemorrhoids. Phenol almond oil is effective for internal hemorrhoids up to Grade III, while aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid have shown efficacy in treating prolapsing in internal hemorrhoids at Grades II, III, and IV. Procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids (PPH) is surgically effective for Grade III internal hemorrhoids; however, the long-term prognosis is not favorable, with high recurrence rates. Separating ligation is effective surgical treatment for internal/external hemorrhoids Grade III and Grade IV. The basic approach to thrombosed external hemorrhoids and incarcerated hemorrhoids is conservative treatment; however, in some acute or severe cases, surgical resection is considered. Comparing the different instruments used for hemorrhoid surgery, all reduce operating time, blood loss, post-operative pain, and length of time until the return to normal activity. They do, of course, increase the cost of the procedure.

Stapled Hemorrhoidopexy: Results at 10-Year Follow-up

BACKGROUND

Despite the advantages of stapled hemorrhoidopexy reported in the literature in terms of postoperative pain, hospital stay, and duration of convalescence, it was described to have a higher recurrence rate compared with conventional hemorrhoidectomy.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction after stapled hemorrhoidopexy at 10-year follow-up.

DESIGN

This was a retrospective cohort analysis conducted on prospectively collected data.

SETTINGS

The study was conducted at a single tertiary care center.

PATIENTS

Eighty-six consecutive patients treated with stapled hemorrhoidopexy for grade 3 hemorrhoidal prolapse between January and December 2006 were included.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Patients satisfaction and recurrence rates were measured.

RESULTS

Eighty-six patients (45 men and 41 women; median age, 49 y (range, 31-74 y)) underwent stapled hemorrhoidopexy. Eight patients had urinary retention during the immediate postoperative period, and 2 patients required a reoperation for suture line bleeding. The median hospital stay was 12 hours (range, 12-96 h). No suture line dehiscence, rectovaginal fistula, pelvic sepsis, anal abscess, or anal stenosis was recorded during the follow-up. Seventy-seven patients (90%) completed the expected follow-up, with a median duration of 119.0 months (range 115.4-121.8 mo). Among them, 30 patients (39%) experienced a recurrent hemorrhoidal prolapse, 8 of whom needed a reoperation. Thirty-four patients (44%) reported urge to defecate with a median visual analog scale of 1 (range, 1-7). Six patients (8%) reported gas leakage at the last follow-up visit, whereas no liquid or solid stool leakage was recorded. Satisfaction rate at 10-year follow-up was 68%.

LIMITATIONS

The study was limited by its small sample size and lack of a control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The high recurrence rate and low patient satisfaction rate showed that stapled hemorrhoidopexy reduces its efficacy in the long-term. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A510.

Documented complications of staple hemorrhoidopexy: a systematic review

A systematic review addressing reported complications of stapled hemorrhoidopexy was conducted. Articles were identified via searching OVID and MEDLINE between July 2011 and October 2013. Limitations were placed on the search criteria with articles published from 1998 to 2013 being included in this review. No language restrictions were placed on the search, however foreign language articles were not translated. Two reviewers independently screened the abstracts for relevance and their suitability for inclusion. Data extraction was conducted by both reviewers and entered and analyzed in Microsoft Excel. The search identified 784 articles and 78 of these were suitable for inclusion in the review. A total of 14,232 patients underwent a stapled hemorrhoidopexy in this review. Overall complication rates of stapled hemorrhoidopexy ranged from 3.3%-81% with 5 mortalities documented. Early and late complications were defined individually with overall data suggesting that early complications ranged from 2.3%-58.9% and late complications ranged from 2.5%-80%. Complications unique to the procedure were identified and rates recorded. Both early and late complications unique to stapled hemorrhoidopexy were identified and assessed.

Long-term outcomes of stapled hemorrhoidopexy

Introduction

Hemorrhoidal disease is one of the commonest anorectal disorders worldwide. Stapled hemorrhoidopexy (SH) is a treatment modality associated with low postoperative pain and early mobilization.

Aim

To assess long-term outcomes after SH.

Material and methods

All 326 patients who underwent SH in 1999–2003 were invited by mail to participate. For each patient we analyzed their medical records, and conducted a questionnaire survey and a digital rectal examination.

Results

Only 91 patients attended the final examination and the mean ± SD follow-up time was 8.7 ±1.2 years. Recurrences were diagnosed in one third of the 91 subjects. There were correlations between recurrences and: the duration of disease (p = 0.047); female gender (p = 0.037); and childbirth (vaginal delivery) (p = 0.026). Sixty-seven patients (73.6%) were satisfied with the outcomes. In the group of dissatisfied patients symptoms such as pain (p = 0.0001), burning (p = 0.0002) and itching (p = 0.014) were most common. Long-term outcomes were good with 75% and 88% reductions in pain sensation and severe and moderate hemorrhoidal bleeding. Pruritus, burning and discomfort resolved in more than 50% of patients. Flatus incontinence, fecal incontinence, or soiling occurred in 21%, 11%, and 32% of patients.

Conclusions

Long-term results of stapled hemorrhoidopexy are satisfactory in most patients. The 36% recurrence rate correlates with the degree of hemorrhoidal prolapse before the operation, duration of the disease, female gender, and previous vaginal delivery.

Transanal haemorrhoidal dearterialisation with mucopexy versus stapler haemorrhoidopexy: a randomised trial with long-term follow-up

INTRODUCTION

The present study aimed to compare the long-term results of transanal haemorrhoidal dearterialisation (THD) with mucopexy and stapler haemorrhoidopexy (SH) in treatment of grade III and IV haemorrhoids.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty-four patients with grade III and IV haemorrhoids were randomised to receive THD with mucopexy (n=63) or SH (n=61). A telephone interview with a structured questionnaire was performed at a median follow-up of 42 months. The primary outcome was the occurrence of recurrent prolapse. Patients, investigators and those assessing the outcomes were blinded to group assignment.

RESULTS

Recurrence was present in 21 patients (16.9%). It occurred in 16 (25.4%) in the THD group and 5 (8.2%) in the SH group (p=0.021). A second surgical procedure was performed in eight patients (6.4%). Reoperation was open haemorrhoidectomy in seven cases and SH in one case. Five patients out of six in the THD group and both patients in the SH group requiring repeat surgery presented with grade IV haemorrhoids. No significant difference was found between the two groups with respect to symptom control. Patient satisfaction for the procedure was 73.0% after THD and 85.2% after SH (p=0.705). Postoperative pain, return to normal activities and complications were similar.

CONCLUSIONS

The recurrence rate after THD with mucopexy is significantly higher than after SH at long-term follow-up although results are similar with respect to symptom control and patient satisfaction. A definite risk of repeat surgery is present when both procedures are performed, especially for grade IV haemorrhoids.

Single purse string with four-point traction for better haemorrhoid retraction

BACKGROUND

Traction method is important to stapled haemorrhoidopexy (SH) for its impact on haemorrhoidal prolapse reduction. Single purse string with one-point traction is most commonly used in SH. This traction method often results in an irregular mucosal doughnut with inadequate height, which leads to insignificant and uneven haemorrhoidal prolapse reduction. Single purse string with two-point traction is a modified traction method. According to some authors, it has significantly improved the height and regularity of the mucosal doughnut in SH. However, the reduction of haemorrhoidal prolapse is not always satisfactory, especially in patients with large prolapse. Our assumption is that single purse string with four-point traction, a more balanced traction method, will provide better control to increase the doughnut height using the same amount of traction. This study was designed to evaluate the outcomes of single purse string with four-point traction as compared with two-point traction in SH.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with symptomatic grade III haemorrhoids were randomized to two groups: Group 1, G(1) ; Group 2, G(2) . Each group underwent SH by colorectal surgeons. The patients in G(1) underwent single purse string with two-point traction. The patients in G(2) underwent SH using single purse string with four-point traction. Preoperative, intraoperative and post-operative patient characteristics were evaluated.

RESULTS

Sixty patients with a median age of 44 (range, 21-78) years were identified. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics were similar in the two groups. The height of the mucosectomy specimens significantly increased in patients of G(2) (P < 0.01, t-test). The variation in mucosal doughnut height significantly decreased in patients of G(2) (P < 0.01, t-test). The anatomy score after SH also significantly decreased in patients of G (2) (P = 0.029, Mann-Whitney U-test). No significant difference in complications was observed between the two groups. Median follow-up was 14 (range, 6-22) months. No haemorrhoidal symptoms were found in these patients.

CONCLUSION

Single purse string with four-point traction ensures a taller and more regular mucosal doughnut during SH, thus it brings a more satisfactory haemorrhoid retraction.

Stapled and conventional Milligan-Morgan haemorrhoidectomy: different solutions for different targets

PURPOSE

Haemorrhoidal disease is one of the most common anorectal disorders. The aim of this study is to compare the results, over the last 10 years, of stapled haemorrhoidopexy (SH) with those of standard Milligan-Morgan haemorrhoidectomy (M&M). Furthermore, we discuss the proper indications for each technique in terms of the lowest rate of complications and long-term results.

METHODS

Three hundred forty-three patients with different degrees of symptomatic haemorrhoids underwent SH or M&M from January 2005 to December 2007. Patients were divided into two groups, age and sex matched. The administration of painkillers drugs, antibiotics and laxatives, complication symptoms and hospital stay in all the patients were recorded after surgical treatment.

RESULTS

The mean operative time was shorter in the stapled group compared to that in the open group (31 min versus 40 min). Postoperative pain, hospital stay and return to full activity were shorter in the stapled group. There was a significant difference in the wound healing time between the two groups. We noticed a higher rate of recurrence in patients treated with stapled haemorrhoidectomy for fourth-degree haemorrhoids.

CONCLUSIONS

According to our experience, the Longo technique is indicated for the treatment of haemorrhoids of second- and third degree. In the latter grades of prolapse, the Milligan-Morgan haemorrhoidectomy can also be applied with good outcomes. We believe that, in case of irreducible prolapse, the M&M is to be preferred. However, operative management varies according to surgeon's interest and is tailored to meet the individual patient's need.