Hemorrhoid Banding: What to Expect and Why It Works

About half of Americans, by the age of 50, will experience hemorrhoids at some point in their lives, swollen veins that can cause discomfort, bleeding, and sometimes pain. Hemorrhoids are much like varicose veins, but instead of occurring in the legs, they occur in the anus and rectum.

Depending on their location, whether they are higher up in the rectum or closer to the anus, they can be painful or painless. Closer to the anus, where there are a lot of nerve endings, hemorrhoids can be quite painful. Higher up, in the rectum, the tissues lack nerve endings that detect pain, much like the tissues in your intestines, making hemorrhoids located here painless.

However, regardless of their location, over time they can cause issues, such as developing painful blood clots or prolapsing.

If you want to eliminate hemorrhoids for good, without thinking too much about it, read on, as our experts at Carolina Digestive Health Associates explain how a painless procedure can eliminate your internal hemorrhoids in a matter of days.

What to expect from a hemorrhoid banding procedure

Also called rubber band ligation, hemorrhoid banding is a procedure in which your provider places a small rubber band around the hemorrhoid to cut off its blood supply. Because of the location of the internal hemorrhoid, where there are no nerve endings that are able to sense pain, the procedure is painless, and it doesn’t require any anesthesia or special preparations.

Recovery & results

Most people can return to their daily activities right after the procedure without any changes. You may experience mild pressure or discomfort in the treated area, but as time goes by and the blood supply to the hemorrhoid is cut off, the tissue shrinks, falls off, and the discomfort goes away on its own within a few days.

Learn more about treating your hemorrhoids

Banding is not suitable for all types of hemorrhoids. The treatment depends on the hemorrhoid's location, size, and symptom severity. However, for the most common type of hemorrhoids, internal hemorrhoids, the treatment is also the most straightforward, allowing you to remove the problem in a few days with no pain involved.

If you notice discomfort during bowel movements, recurring bleeding, or any pain, contact us to schedule an appointment at one of our offices in Belmont or Charlotte, North Carolina, for expert advice on relieving your symptoms as soon as possible.