[Ambulatory therapy of internal hemorrhoids using infrared photocoagulation and elastic ligature]

The authors present their experience with infrared photocoagulation and its combination with suction ligature by means of elastic rings in the treatment of internal haemorrhoids. They used infrared photocoagulation in 15 patients with grade I haemorrhoids, the procedure was painless in 80% and 20% of the patients reported mild pain. As to side-effects, 13.3% reported mild discomfort during defaecation. After one month 66.6% were symptom-free, 26.7% improved and 6.7% did not report improvement. The authors used the combination of suction ligation and infrared photocoagulation in 27 patients with internal haemorrhoids grade II. The procedure was painless in 70.4%, slight pain was reported by 25.9% and in one patient the procedure was associated with severe pain (3.7%). No side-effects were reported by 44.4% of the patients, mild discomfort during defaecation in 48.2% and more marked discomfort in 7.4%. None of the methods were associated with haemorrhage. After one month 74.1% of the patients were asymptomatic, 18.5% reported improvement and two probands (7.4%) did not report improvement. These methods can be used, due to the simple procedure, slight discomfort caused to the patients and low incidence of side-effects in out-patients departments. The short time taken by the procedure and the low cost are not negligible either.