What is hemorrhoid surgery?

Hemorrhoid surgery is a medical procedure used to treat large, painful or bleeding hemorrhoids. Several hemorrhoid surgery options exist including hemorrhoidectomy and PPH, or procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids. Other minimally-invasive procedures also exist to treat hemorrhoids, including lasers, rubber band ligation and sclerotherapy, according to WebMD.

A hemorrhoidectomy is the removal of one or more problematic hemorrhoids. During a PPH, a large hemorrhoid is stapled high in the anus, and the blood supply is cut off. This shrinks the hemorrhoid and reduces pain. Laser, rubber band ligation and sclerotherapy are all minimally invasive procedures designed to shrink large hemorrhoids either by burning, smothering or chemically destroying them, according to WebMD.