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Mid-term efficacy and postoperative wound management of laser hemorrhoidoplasty (LHP) vs conventional excisional hemorrhoidectomy in grade III hemorrhoidal disease: the twisting trend.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Gambardella, Claudio  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2277-2960
Brusciano, Luigi 
Brillantino, Antonio 
Parisi, Simona 
Lucido, Francesco Saverio 

Abstract

PURPOSE: Hemorrhoidal disease (HD) is a common condition, and several surgical techniques have been proposed to date without being able to achieve definitive consensus on their use and indications. Laser hemorrhoidoplasty (LHP) is a minimally invasive procedure for HD treatment determining the shrinkage of the hemorrhoidal piles by diode laser limiting the postoperative discomfort and pain. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the postoperative outcomes of HD patients undergoing LHP vs conventional Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy (MM). METHOD: Postoperative pain, wound care management, symptoms' resolution, patients' quality of life, and length of return to daily activity of grade III symptomatic HD patients undergoing LHP vs MM were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were followed-up for recurrence of prolapsed hemorrhoid or symptoms. RESULT: From January 2018 to December 2019, 93 patients received conventional Milligan Morgan as control group and 81 patients received laser hemorrhoidoplasty treatment using a 1470-nm diode laser. No significant intraoperative complications occurred in both groups. Laser hemorrhoidoplasty patients experienced lower postoperative pain score (p < 0.0001) and smoother wound management. After 25 ± 8 months follow-up, the recurrence of symptoms occurred in 8.1% after Milligan-Morgan and 21.6% after laser hemorrhoidoplasty (p < 0.05) with a similar Rorvik score (7.8 ± 2.6 in LHP group vs 7.6 ± 1.9 in MM group, p = 0.12). CONCLUSION: LHP demonstrated high efficacy in selected HD patients guaranteeing lower postoperative pain, easier wound care, higher rate of symptoms resolution, and greater patient appreciation compared to MM, even though it had a higher recurrence rate. Larger comparative studies are needed to address this issue.

Description

Funder: Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli

Keywords

Excisional hemorrhoidectomy, Hemorrhoidal disease, Hemorrhoidal recurrence, Laser hemorrhoidoplasty, Postoperative pain, Humans, Hemorrhoidectomy, Hemorrhoids, Quality of Life, Retrospective Studies, Pain, Postoperative, Lasers, Treatment Outcome

Journal Title

Langenbecks Arch Surg

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1435-2443
1435-2451

Volume Title

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC