They’re something no one likes to talk about. No one wants to admit they have hemorrhoids. But about 40% of older Americans will suffer from this painful condition at some point. Factors like obesity and poor diet can cause hemorrhoids to develop.
“It’s because it’s thrombosed, in other words that’s a fancy word for it has a small clot. It distends the skin and it becomes real painful,” says Dr. Steve Moenning, who is a general surgeon with Lee Memorial Health System.
Lifestyle changes and topical medications are often enough to successfully treat hemorrhoids, but more severe cases may require a more aggressive approach, like the FDA-approved bi-polar device that uses energy and hear to zap away the affected vessels.
“It shrinks the blood flow into the hemorrhoid, which then shrinks the internal hemorrhoids. It doesn't extend deeper to involve the muscle tissue. So there’s no surgery in terms of cutting out the tissue. There’s no sewing up,” says Dr. Moenning.
This procedure requires only one session and patients go home the same day. Compared to traditional surgery, which cuts out the offending clot leaving patients with an uncomfortable healing process. The bipolar method is cutting-edge treatment with no cutting.
“It’s phenomenal. We can get rid of the internal hemorrhoids and frequently shrink the external hemorrhoids in a painless fashion,” says Dr. Moenning.
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Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.
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