Band ligation versus haemorrhoidectomy for piles - abstract

ABSTRACT

A prospective policy to treat 100 patients with haemorrhoids by rubber band ligation (RBL) was undertaken, and compared to 100 patients who previously had Milligan-Morgan haemorrhoidectomy (MMH). Of the 100 cases who presented for RBL, only 9 required MMH. None of the patients who had RBL lost time from work of required hospitalization, compared to the MMH group, 21 days and 1.3 days, respectively. No patient in the RBL group required anaesthesia or operating theatre time. None of the RBL group required narcotic analgesics but 17 used non-narcotics for one day. Patients who had MMH averaged 3.6 doses of narcotics, and used non-narcotic for an average of 16 days. Stool softners were used by all patients in the MMH group and by only 8 in the RBL group. In view of these considerable benefits, RBL should be adopted as the treatment of choice for haemorrhoids in the West Indies(AU)