Background: Hemorrhoid is among the most common anorectal diseases and patients with high-grade disease conditions need surgical treatment. Many surgical procedures are available to treat the disease. The aim of this study was to compare the operative time and outcomes, (post-operative pain and complications) of LigaSure hemorrhoidectomy with those of the open conventional method.
Methods : This randomized single-blind clinical trial included 57 patients (28 in LigaSure and 29 in the open group). The primary variable was the operative time for the excision of a single hemorrhoidal packet. The other variables were post-operative pain measured by morphine doses administered to control pain, scores of visual analogue scale (VAS) used to measure pain severity, pain during home stay measured by doses of oral ibuprofen and the mean daily VAS scores, early complications including bleeding and urinary retention, longer-term complications and time to return to work.
Results : The demographic data were comparatively the same between the two groups. The average time to excise a single packet of hemorrhoid was significantly shorter in the LigaSure group (8.91 min vs. 17.35 min, P<0.001). Post-operative pain measurements (morphine doses and VAS scores) were lower in the LigaSure group, but the differences were not statistically significant (P=0.055 and 0.077, respectively). Complications of the two procedures were also comparable. Neither of the groups returned to work in a shorter time.
Conclusion: LigaSure hemorrhoidectomy seems to be a safe method and it can reduce the operative time significantly. It may also have a modest effect on post-operative pain.