Banding

Banding is a treatment for internal piles. It's a safe, routine procedure in the outpatient department without an anaesthetic.

Your symptoms usually get better in 10 to 14 days.

During banding

We place a small instrument called a proctoscope into your bottom. We use this to put a tight elastic band around the inside part (internal section) of the piles.

The band cuts off the blood supply to the piles. This makes them fall off, which usually happens 3 to 7 days later.  

The banding only takes a few minutes. It is not painful. 

Sedation

You can have sedation but you will need to wait at least an hour before leaving hospital if you have sedation. You will also need someone to escort you home and stay with you for 24 hours. 

The sedation lasts longer than you may think, so in the first 24 hours after your examination you should not

• drive or ride a bicycle/ car
• operate machinery or do anything requiring skill or judgement
• cook
• drink alcohol
• take sleeping tablets
• sign legal documents, make any important decisions, or sign contracts

After banding

You might feel a dull ache for about 5 hours after the banding procedure. This is normal and you can take regular painkillers, such as paracetamol, if needed.

Try not to have a poo until the day after your banding, but do not worry if this is not possible.

Please avoid using creams or applicators directly into your bottom after your treatment.

You can have a bath or shower as you would usually. It is best to avoid heavy exercise, such as jogging or riding a bike, for the rest of the day. 

You should be able to get back to your usual activities the day after banding.

You might see the pile and band in your poo when you go to the toilet. This is normal.

Infection

There is a small risk of infection inside the bottom after banding. If you get an infection, we can treat it with antibiotics. 

Bleeding

You might have some bleeding over the next couple of days. This is normal. The amount of blood should be less than an egg cupful each day. Over the next few days, the bleeding should reduce. 

Pain

You may have some pain or discomfort in the first 3 days and you can take over the counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen for this.

If you have any bloating or discomfort in your tummy this may be from the air that was put into your bowel during the examination.  This is normal and should settle within 24 hours. If your discomfort doesn’t settle try to pass wind. You can try to move about and change position to help settle the air in your gut. You can also try warm drinks, or peppermint water (sold over the counter at most Pharmacy's) or peppermint tea.

Food and drink

You can eat and drink normally. To minimise pressure and discomfort on your piles, we advise a high fibre diet and plenty of fluids per day (2 litres a day) to keep your poo soft. 

Aftercare

No routine follow up appointment is required unless specified by the surgeon.

If your condition changes, you can start (initiate) a follow-up by contacting us. This is known as patient initiated follow-up (PIFU). If you have any concerns in the initial 6 months after your surgery, you can contact us by email: [email protected]

After 6 months you should your GP to be referred back to our team.

If your piles come back

Piles can return. Avoiding constipation and straining can sometimes help your symptoms and treat small, internal piles. You can read more information about making lifestyle changes.