Long-term follow-up of closed hemorrhoidectomy.

Four hundred forty-one patients who had closed hemorrhoidectomy with local anesthesia were followed for one to seven years postoperatively to assess long-term results and patient satisfaction. Seven and one-half per cent needed further treatment of hemorrhoids, 7.7 per cent developed other anorectal or colonic pathology, and 0.5 per cent had lasting incontinence. Lateral internal sphincterotomy did not predispose to incontinence. Patient satisfaction was 92.6 per cent.