Original CommunicationResults of 666 consecutive patients treated with LigaSure hemorrhoidectomy for symptomatic prolapsed hemorrhoids with a minimum follow-up of 2 years

BackgroundOur aim is to report the outcomes of hemorrhoidectomy performed via LigaSure™ with a minimum follow-up of 2 years.MethodsA total of 666 patients underwent hemorrhoidectomy for symptomatic prolapsed hemorrhoids (grade III and IV) via LigaSure between June 2006 and June 2008. Patient demographic and operative data were collected and analyzed.ResultsThe mean patient age was 45.4 ± 11.1 years (x ± SD; range, 22-77), and approximately 72% had grade III hemorrhoids. All procedures were performed without complications. The operative time was 18.7 ± 4.1 minutes (range, 9-43), and hospital stay was 1.5 ± 0.6 days (range, 1-4). There was no immediate postoperative bleeding or other procedure-related complications. Twelve (1.8%) patients required urinary catheterization for a maximum of 1 day, and 21 (3.2%) patients had delayed postoperative bleeding. Most cases of bleeding resolved spontaneously; 3 patients (0.4%) required reoperation. A total of 645 patients (96.6%) responded to a follow-up telephone interview at a mean of 36 months (range, 24-49) after hemorrhoidectomy. After 1 year postoperatively, 2 patients received additional excisions for residual skin tags, 1 was treated for an anal stricture, 1 was treated for an anal fistula, and 3 were treated for anal fissures. Minor incontinence (flatus) was present in 11 (1.7%) patients, and 13 (2.0%) experienced mild bleeding caused by residual hemorrhoids; 1 patient underwent rubber-band ligation, and the others were successfully treated medically. No recurrent prolapse or persistent anal pain occurred during the follow-up period. The overall recurrence rate at 2-years follow-up was 3.1%.ConclusionThe long-term recurrence rate after hemorrhoidectomy with LigaSure is low and comparable with conventional hemorrhoidectomy.