Sclerotherapy with 3% polidocanol foam to treat second-degree haemorrhoidal disease: Three-year follow-up of a multicentre, single arm, IDEAL phase 2b trial

Sclerotherapy for hemorrhoidal disease: systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of sclerotherapy methods for hemorrhoidal disease (HD) over the past 40 years.

METHODS

The review followed the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was conducted, including studies reporting the use of sclerotherapy in patients with HD. Study eligibility criteria were defined, and data were extracted independently by the authors. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to assess outcomes of interest.

RESULTS

Out of 1965 records identified, 44 studies met the inclusion criteria, involving 9729 patients. The majority of studies were conducted in Japan, followed by the UK, Italy, and Portugal. The median age of participants was 52 years, and the majority were male. The Goligher grade distribution indicated varying degrees of HD severity. Sclerotherapy was predominantly administered through anoscopy, with polidocanol being the most commonly used agent. The procedure was generally performed without pre-injection analgesia. The meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) revealed that sclerotherapy was not inferior to control interventions in terms of success rate (risk ratio [RR] 1.00, 95% CI 0.71-1.41) and recurrence rate (RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.69-1.77), while resulting in fewer complications (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.23-0.92).

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review highlights the safety and efficacy of sclerotherapy for HD, which yields similar success rates and fewer complications compared to other conservative or surgical approaches. Further research is warranted to optimize sclerotherapy techniques and evaluate long-term outcomes.

REGISTRATION

PROSPERO 2023 CRD42023396910.

Injection sclerotherapy for the treatment of haemorrhoids in anticoagulated patients

BACKGROUND

Symptomatic haemorrhoids (SH) are a common condition; however, conventional outpatient treatment, including rubber band ligation, is contraindicated in patients receiving concurrent anticoagulation. Injection sclerotherapy (IST) has been proposed as a treatment option for these patients.

METHODS

A retrospective review of case notes was performed in a colorectal surgery department that sits alongside a tertiary cardiothoracic surgical unit. Patients treated with an IST for SH between 1 April 2014 and 30 November 2021 were identified. Anticoagulation was not stopped in these patients as they were at high risk of developing thromboembolism, except in two patients who required alternative procedures. The primary outcome was symptom resolution, defined as no patient reporting bleeding for at least six months. The secondary outcomes were patient-reported complications, number of IST procedures and number of other procedures performed to achieve symptom resolution.

RESULTS

A total of 20 patients with a median age of 64 years (range 35-86, 14 male) who underwent 32 IST treatments were identified. Symptom resolution was achieved in 18 (90%) patients using IST while continuing anticoagulation treatment, with two (10%) patients requiring alternative interventions. Ten patients (50%) required only one IST procedure, and three patients (15%) required two procedures. The remaining five (25%) patients required three or four interventions. The median time between IST treatments was 32 weeks (range 8-133). No complications were reported.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that IST can be considered as a potential treatment option for patients with SH who are at a high risk of thromboembolic disease requiring anticoagulation.

Sclerobanding in the treatment of second and third degree hemorrhoidal disease in high risk patients on antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy without suspension: a pilot study

Introduction

Around 20% of population in western countries is under anticoagulant treatment. However, there is paucity of evidence about the treatment of HD in patients under anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy, although both suspension and continuation in the perioperative period may increase the risk of severe complications. The aim of this pilot study was to confirm the feasibility and safety of sclerobanding (Combined Rubber Band Ligation with 3% Polidocanol Foam Sclerotherapy), an office-based procedure, for the treatment of second-and third-degree HD in patients under anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy without suspension.

Materials and methods

Patients affected by second-third-degree haemorrhoids unresponsive to conservative treatment and under anticoagulant/antiplatelet were enrolled between November 2019 and October 2021. Postoperative complications, readmission, mortality and reintervention during the follow-up were evaluated.

Results

Fifty-one patients were recruited, 23 female (45.1%) and 28 male (54.9%), with an average age of 65 years ± 11.4 SD (range 42-90). Twenty-seven patients (52.9%) had II-degree haemorrhoidal disease, and 24 (47.1%) had grade III-degree. The most frequently taken medications were dual antiplatelet therapy (51%) and new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) (21.6%). The mean follow-up was 23 months. No intraoperative complications were recorded. The rate of complications in the first postoperative month was 13.7%, represented by mild complications: 6 cases of moderate to severe pain and 1 case (2%) of thrombosis of a residual haemorrhoidal nodule, all regressing after conservative therapy. No severe complications were reported. Postoperative complications were not statistically significantly associated with the number of nodules treated (1, 2, or 3), the disease grade (2nd vs. 3rd) or the specific anticoagulant/antiplatelet regimen. During follow-up, 2 patients (4%) required a new procedure for recurrent bleeding: one an infrared photocoagulation as outpatient, and another a haemorrhoidectomy after 3 months. No cases of intraoperative or postoperative mortality occurred.

Conclusions

Sclerobanding is a safe and effective technique in treating intermediate-grade haemorrhoidal disease in patients at high risk on anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy. Sclerobanding is repeatable, usually does not require anaesthesia, and is cost-effective. Observational multicentre studies with a larger number of patients and controlled clinical trials will be needed to confirm these results.

Results of sclerotherapy and mucopexy with haemorrhoidal dearterialization in II and III degree haemorrhoids. A 4 years' single centre experience

Introduction

Haemorrhoidal disease (HD) affects a considerable portion of the adult population. The aim of this study is to confirm the safety and efficacy of the treatments and to report the long-term outcomes of Sclerotherapy (ST) and Mucopexy and Haemorrhoidal Dearterialization (MHD) performed over the last 4 years in a single tertiary centre. The secondary outcome is to evaluate the usefulness of both techniques and to demonstrate how those can be associated as a bridge to surgery.

Materials and methods

Patients affected by second-third-degree haemorrhoids and undergoing ST or non-Doppler guided MHD between 2018 and 2021 were enrolled. Safety and efficacy, recurrence rate, Haemorrhoid Severity Score (HSS) and pain resulting from both techniques were evaluated.

Results

Out of 259 patients, 150 underwent ST. Further, 122 (81.3%) patients were male and 28 (18.7%) were female. The mean age was 50.8 (range 34-68) years. Most of the patients (103, 68.6%) were affected by second-degree HD, while 47 (31.4%) were affected by third-degree HD. The overall success rate was 83.3%. The median pre-operative HSS score was 3 (IQR 0-4, p = 0.04) and at 2 year the median HSS was 0 (IQR 0-1, p = 0.03). No intraoperative complications and no drug-related side effects occurred. The mean follow-up for ST was 2 years (range 1-4; SD ±0.88). MHD was performed on 109 patients. In detail, 80 patients (73.4%) were male while 29 patients (26.6%) were female. The mean age in this group was 51.3 (range 31-69). Further, 72 patients (66.1%) were affected by third-degree HD and 37 (33.9%) by second-degree HD. The median HSS score was 9 (IQR 8-10, p = 0.001) preoperatively two years after treatment was 0 (IQR 0-1, p = 0.004). Major complications occurred in three patients (2.75%). The overall success rate was 93.5% (second degree 89.2% vs. third degree 95.8%). The mean follow-up for MHD was 2 years (range 1-4; SD ±0.68).

Conclusions

The results confirm the usefulness of those techniques, which can be considered safe and easily repeatable procedures, with a low recurrence rate after 2 years of median follow-up.

Transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD) for hemorrhoidal disease: An Italian single-institution 5-year experience analysis and updated literature review

Background

Hemorrhoidal disease is a highly prevalent, chronic disorder that usually compromise patients' quality of life. Despite recent advances in pharmacologic and surgical therapeutic options, a clear treatment "gold standard" is lacking. Our aim is to analyze the outcomes following Transanal Hemorrhoidal Dearterialization (THD) procedure.

Methods

Patients who failed conservative treatment and underwent THD Doppler between 2017 and 2021 were enrolled. Follow-up interviews (consisting of clinical examination, Visual Analog Scale for pain-VAS, Vaizey incontinence score, Hemorrhoid Severity Score) were administered 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month and 6 months after surgery.

Results

Forty-seven out of 75 patients were male, and the mean age was 50 (± 17.9) years. Hemorrhoids were classified as Goligher's degree II in 25 cases, III in 40 and IV, simple irreducible without ischemic changes, in 10. The mean operative time was 35 (28-60) minutes, and most procedures were performed with epidural anesthesia (80%). No intraoperative complications occurred, and 73 patients (97.3%) were discharged within post-operative day 1. Early post-operative pain and bleeding occurred in 37.3% and 8% of patients, respectively. No patients experienced anal incontinence and severe symptoms at 6 months after surgery. The overall success rate was 97.3%.

Conclusions

THD is safe and effective in hemorrhoidal disease at degree II if bleeding, III, and IV without ischemic changes, both as a first intervention and on recurrence. Physician and patient need to understand each other's expectations, weight the risks and benefits, and customize the treatment.

Prevalent Technique and Results of Hemorrhoidal Embolization

Hemorrhoids are blood cushions located in the anus and lower rectum, acknowledged as a common cause of bleeding, which can reduce quality of life. The development of minimally invasive techniques such as endovascular embolization of superior rectal artery, "Emborrhoid technique", is an effective treatment, with no pain or ischemic complications, and allows quick patient recovery. Our purpose is to describe the general technique and discuss the results of the current literature.