Butt surgery!
i wish this were as glamorous as the title makes it sound....after three long pregnancies and three big babies, hemorroids have destroid the real estate. Its been four plus years since my last birth but i continue to have painful flare-ups and major issues with hygeine which has laid waste (pun intended) to intimacy with my partner. So im told there are a couple options for surgical intervention and was referred to “the guy” (a colorectal surgeon named dr. Bitar). Unfortunatel he has retired and the two new referrals ive gotten are for general surgeons (dr. Moorestein and dr horopouian). As you can imagine, id really like to find someone who has experience with this part of the body...has anyone had hemmoroid issues dealt with surgically? Has anyone had experience with these particular surgeons? Im not looking for someone with perfect bedside manner or delightful office staff, im looking for someone who has surgical expertise and experience with the, ahem, undercarriage.
Parent Replies
I just had this exact surgery two weeks ago, and I highly recommend Dr. Brian McGuiness at Bay Area Colon & Rectal Surgeons in Walnut Creek. He was a great doctor AND he had great bedside manner. I will say that, unfortunately, it’s a pretty difficult recovery, so plan to have as much help and time off as you can get, especially with three little kids. I don’t want to freak you out at all, because I got through it and would still have the surgery if I knew everything I know now, but my strong advice is definitely take all the pain meds they give you. I stupidly tried to get through it with just Tylenol and Advil, and those aren’t enough. Good luck! You’ll be glad you did it!
I have hemorrhoids that developed after my first (of three) child was born many years ago. I never had the courage to do anything surgically and tried to cope with lots of fiber in my diet and using witch hazel to deal with any mess. However, recently my doctor suggested that I use Metamucil and that has really been life changing by increasing overall comfort and eliminating the mess.
Dr James Macho did my surgery and he probably saved my life as I had an extremely severe case but he is an excellent surgeon and a fantastic doctor. He is in SF. I will echo the comments by another poster in that the recovery is not easy and Vicodin will definitely be needed. If possible I would take medical leave. That being said, I have no regrets. Best of luck!
I'm not sure if you're a candidate for banding, but Dr. Moorestein did a hemorrhoid banding for me. The 24hrs following the quick procedure were pretty uncomfortable, it was completely worth it. He was super professional, especially when the banding machine wasn't cooperating and he had to make 3 attempts. I drove myself to and from, though the ride home was rough. Good luck!
Dr Varma at UCSF did a "leakage" repair for me--she was wonderful with surgical skills and communication.