Jan 30 2010
Possible Complications of Sclerotherapy
Treating hemorrhoids is not a complicated task for a medical practitioner. The only question is if he or she is qualified to do the procedure. Just like in any other medical treatment, complications usually arise due to improper procedures conducted by the doctor. Another reason is the specialization of the medical practitioner. There are some cases where the doctor does not have the required skills to conduct the operation and no accreditation from their medical organizations.
Sclerotherapy is not a new procedure in treating hemroids but there are some reported cases of complications. Bleeding and pain may be experienced when undergoing a hemorrhoids treatment but too much pain and profuse bleeding is a sign that there is something wrong with the treatment. Based on statistical data, complications occur in approximately 0.02% or 1 in 5,000 sclerotherapy injections which were mostly due to improper technique.
Bleeding can be caused by puncturing an artery but this can be stopped by exerting pressure on the area. Delayed bleeding, on the other hand, can be due to too much solution injected to the affected area and incorrect injection to the mucusa layer instead of beneath it. Ulceration could develop and the patient could still experience bleeding after 7 or 14 days after the injection.
Too much pain is usually caused by improper selection of the injection site. When the injection is done below the dentate line or the sclerosant spread beyond that area and to sensitive tissues, the patient will definitely experience real pain.
Another possible complication of sclerotherapy is injection into the anal vein. This will be noticed if the injected solution is easily absorbed and the patient experiences pain in the liver area or unpleasant taste in the mouth. Although there is no harmful side effects on this case but the treatment for hemorrhoids will become a failure.
Accidental injection to the prostate is also possible. The extent of complications depends on the volume of solution injected to the area or the depth of penetration of the needle. Side effects could be minor or serious and may require the patient for hospitalization. When the needle is injected into the prostate area, the patient may experience difficulty in urinating. It may require temporary insertion of a catheter tube to help the patient urinate. Infertility may also happen if the sclerosant solution was injected to the seminal vessel which may spread to the testicles and surrounding tissues.
Prostitis or the inflammation of the prostate glands could also happen. The most alarming part of this situation is it may last for weeks, months or even years. There is no direct treatment for this complication but antibiotics may help alleviate the symptoms. If the patient suffers from prostitis, symptoms may include pain, partial incontinence, burning sensation during urination, frequent urination, blood or pus in the urine.
The accidental injection to the prostate can also lead to abscess formation which may require another surgery. Blood clotting could also occur due to improper diagnosis of the doctor. Large second-degree or third-degree hemorrhoid should not be treated with sclerotherapy. If this situation happens, an anal dilation or surgery is required.
[...] Sclerotherapy is becoming a popular treatment for varicose veins. This is a common treatment offered in most clinics. The treatment is simple and can be done on an out-patient basis. In sclerotherapy, a fine needle is injected to the affected area using a saline solution or sclerosant. It works by scarring the tissue and eventually causes the spider veins to fade away. However, this procedure does not prevent new varicose veins to appear in the treated area. [...]
[...] have the same benefits, removing the symptoms of hemorrhoids. Non-operative treatment may include sclerotherapy, heat coagulation, electric current treatment, rubber band ligation and another popular treatment [...]
[...] by the condition. But in case of severe hemorrhoid conditions, clinical treatment therapies such as Injection Sclerotherapy, Infrared Photocoagulation, Laser Coagulation as well as Hemorrhoidectomy are the proper remedies [...]
[...] Hemorrhoid Information ยป Possible Complications of Sclerotherapy [...]
What a super blog!
[...] In terms of hemorrhoid surgeries, one that is considered as the least expensive and most popular procedure for removing hemorrhoids is the rubber band ligation. With a whooping 50 million bandings performed each year, this method is indeed trusted by many hemorrhoid sufferers. Several studies were conducted on rubber band ligation and it was revealed that this surgery has superior long-term efficacy when compared to other non-surgical hemorrhoid treatments like infrared coagulation and injection sclerotherapy. [...]