Wince if you will, but it’s time to get to the bottom of an ugly problem. Now, a new disposable device can treat troublesome internal hemorrhoids in 30 seconds, with minimal pain and risk of infection.

The O’Regan banding ligator, developed by Medsurge Medical Products of Vancouver, British Columbia, is an alternative to rubber band ligation of hemorrhoids, a nonsurgical procedure. The traditional banding procedure requires a tool to grab the tissue, which can cause pain and bleeding. The O’Regan is a suction/syringe device that aids in comfort and requires no sterilization.

The procedure is being performed at the Colorectal Health (CRH) Clinic in downtown Chicago, which Medsurge opened last September. Candidates for the procedure have internal hemorrhoids that bleed, itch, cause soiling or prolapse, meaning they distend from the anal opening. These patients are not candidates for surgery, according to Dr. Thomas Drost, CRH’s medical director.

“For smaller hemorrhoids, the risks of surgery outweigh the benefits since the patient may end up with worse complaints such as chronic nonhealing wounds, incontinence, chronic pain or scarring,” said Drost. “Most of the time patients are given over-the-counter creams, suppositories or pads and basically told to put up with the symptoms.”

The disposable ligator consists of a suction mechanism and a syringe. When the ligator is correctly positioned in the anus, the hemorrhoidal tissue is sucked into the ligator by withdrawing the plunger. A band ties off the tissue. If a patient has multiple hemorrhoids, Drost recommends a week between each banding. No pain medication is required.

Laura (NO LAST NAME), 45, of Chicago, recently underwent the O’Regan procedure. “There was very little pain, just a little pressure,” she said. “I went home and had a pretty normal day without any pain medication. I still have a few more to go but definitely feel more comfortable than when I went there.”

To rule out other causes of bleeding, Drost first does a visual exam, a digital rectal exam, and a rigid proctoscopy. Depending on the patient’s age and risk factors, he’ll wait until all hemorrhoids are banded and two weeks later, send the patient home with a hemoccult blood test to check for hidden blood in the stool.

Less than half the patients who complain of hemorrhoids actually have them, said Dr. Amy Halverson, a colorectal surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital who does the standard banding technique. “If someone has bleeding, he or she must be thoroughly evaluated for other causes of bleeding, such as skin tags or colon cancer. You don’t want to have the fast food approach to your health.”

The procedure is covered by insurance, according to Tony Rau, director of public affairs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, the state’s largest insurer.

By Terri Yablonsky Stat

Special to the Tribune