Bummed Out by Hemorrhoids?

It’s no joke. Dealing with the pain, burning, and itching of hemorrhoids (or piles) can ruin your day. If you find that your quality of life is going down because of your hemorrhoid symptoms, maybe it’s time to fix the problem. ARA interventional radiologists can help with a nonsurgical procedure called hemorrhoid artery embolization (HAE), which fixes swollen vessels around the anus and rectum internally through your vascular system.
 

Common Symptoms

• Bright red blood on toilet paper or in bowl
• Itching or irritation around the anus
• Pain or discomfort (especially with external hemorrhoids)
• Swelling or sensitivity near the anus
 

How Does Hemorrhoid Artery Embolization (HAE) Work?

HAE (also called emborrhoid) is a minimally invasive procedure done at our Midtown clinic under light sedation with some numbing injections. An ARA interventional radiologist inserts a tiny catheter (tube) into a blood vessel, typically in the femoral artery (groin) or radial artery (wrist).

Using real time X-ray imaging, the radiologist guides the catheter to the arteries that supply blood to hemorrhoids. There the radiologist places tiny particles, like beads or small coils, which partially block blood flow to the hemorrhoids. With less blood flow, the swollen hemorrhoid tissue shrinks, bleeding is significantly reduced, and symptoms like prolapse (hemorrhoids outside the anus) and pain often improve.