Doppler-guided hemorrhoidal artery ligation for the treatment of symptomatic hemorrhoids: early and three-year follow-up results in 100 consecutive patients.

PURPOSE Doppler-guided ligation of the hemorrhoidal arteries was described as an alternative to hemorrhoidectomy. The authors report their experience with this procedure. METHODS From 2002 to 2004, 100 consecutive patients underwent hemorrhoidal artery ligation procedure for symptomatic hemorrhoids and were reviewed at one month and at three years. RESULTS There were 54 females. Seventy-eight patients had Grade III hemorrhoids. Eighteen patients had previously been treated for the disease. The mean operative time was 28 minutes. On average, 8.4 ligatures were placed. Seventy-nine patients were discharged the same day. Six patients presented with early complication: isolated pain in one, pain and bleeding in three, isolated bleeding in one, and obstructed defecation in one. Late complications occurred in six patients: anal pain in one, fissure in two, and thrombosis of residual hemorrhoids in three. Twelve patients presented with a recurrence at a mean delay of 12.6 months, which was treated by repeat hemorrhoidal artery ligation (n = 1), hemorrhoidopexy (n = 7), and hemorrhoidectomy (n = 4). CONCLUSIONS Hemorrhoidal artery ligation procedure is safe, easy to perform, and should be considered as an alternative for the treatment of symptomatic hemorrhoids, even with a recurrence rate of 12 percent, which can be treated by the same technique or another.