1 May 2023Review
Treatment of haemorrhoids in pregnancy: A retrospective review
Michele Fiordaliso 1Flavia Marco 2Valentina D’Alessandro 3Domenico Risio 4Paolo Panaccio 5Edoardo Liberatore 4
Affiliations
Article Info
1 Klinikum für Allgemein, Viszeral und Gefäßchirurgie Erbach, Germany
2 Klinikum für Innere Medizin Friedrichshafen, Germany
3 Department of Surgery “Fatebenefratelli’’ of Milano, Italy
4 Department of General Surgery, Hospital San Liberatore Atri, AUSL 4, Teramo, Italy
5 Department of General Surgery, Hospital Renzetti Lanciano, Ita
Ann. Ital. Chir., 2023, 94(3), 274-280;
Published: 1 May 2023
Copyright © 2023 Annali Italiani di Chirurgia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
AIM: Haemorrhoids are varicose veins of the rectum covered by mucosa at or near the anal canal. They are normally asymptomatic, can occur at any age and affect both males and females. Haemorrhoids are common in young women and commoner during pregnancy and the puerperium. In this review, we address the issue of the approach of the obstetrician and surgeons to haemorrhoids and their management. This is significant because there are currently no recommendations for pregnant patients with hemorrhoids. METHODS: The literature search comprised all the inherent published original papers; also abstract were included. No language selection was done. Search terms used were: “hemorrhoid”, “hemorrhoid therapy”, “hemorrhoid in pregnancy”, “hemorrhoid complication”. Data research was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Sciences, Scopus, Clinical Trial. gov, OVID and Cochrane Library querying for all articles related to treatment of hemorrhoidis in pregnancy. RESULTS: Fiber supplement, stool softener and mild laxatives are generally safe for pregnant women. Topical medication or oral phlebotonics may be used with special caution because the strong evidence of their safety and efficacy in pregnancy is lacking. In case of massive bleeding, anal packing could be a simple and useful maneuver. Hemorrhoidectomy is reserved in strangulated or extensively thrombosed hemorrhoids, and hemorrhoids with intractable bleeding.
Keywords
- Hemorrhoid
- Hemorrhoid Therapy
- Hemorrhoid in Pregnancy
- Hemorrhoid Complication