One thousand cryohemorrhoidectomies: an overview.

One thousand cryohemorrhoidectomies were performed during the past seven years with the result that one-third of our patients were relatively pain-free while two-thirds complained of severe to minimal pain. The recurrence rate was about 11 per cent but the true incidence was 6.3 per cent. Unpleasant anal discharge, occurring in patients with prolapsed hemorrhoids, can be prevented by ligation prior to freezing. Overall, 90 per cent of our patients were satisfied with the procedure while 6.6 per cent underwent repeated surgery. Comparative analyses were made with other studies and it is fair to say that cryosurgery has definite advantages for selected cases of hemorrhoids, but it is not a panacea for all hemorrhoidal disease.