What happens afterwards? The External Hemorrhoidectomy Recovery Process.
If you’ve only local anesthetic was used, you’ll be able to go home right after surgery. Most external hemorrhoidectomies are performed under local anesthesia without any sedation. If you have large external hemorrhoids or mixed hemorrhoids, you may be given oral or intravenous sedation, and you leave once the sedative wears off, you need to arrange a driver . General anesthesia is typically unnecessary for external hemorrhoidectomy.
Following an external hemorrhoidectomy, the recovery should involve a little time off work (a couple of days), and avoiding intense physical strain; that said, it is important to try to remain active while you recuperate.
Pain management after an external hemorrhoidectomy is important part of recovery. Your bowels still need to keep work while recovering, except now it has a wound in it. It is almost certainly going to be quite sore at first.
Most patients go through bowel preparation before surgery, and as a result usually don’t have any bowel movements in the first day or even 2nd day. You should reduce the amount of food you eat in the first 2 days in order to reduce the bowel movements. You’ll also get some fiber and medication to soften your stool, allowing you to pass it more easily and with less disturbance to the operative wounds. For similar reasons, you should make sure you drink plenty of water, at least 6 to 8 glasses every day. This also helps keep your stools soft and easy to move.
Tylenol or Ibuprofen is usually sufficient for pain control. If the pain is severe, stronger painkillers such as narcotics may help keep it in check. That said, you are discouraged from using them since narcotics may cause constipation, which affects the wound healing.
It is also important to give yourself a Sitz bath three times a day, 15 minutes each time to help the wound healing and prevent infection. Wash or soak after each bowel movement, and Keep the anus clean and dry.
The pain ought to lessen as the wound heals over, which is a fairly fast process – everything should be back to normal, and pain-free, within two to three weeks.
Hemorrhoidectomy