PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED COMPARISON OF CURRENT COAGULATION AND INJECTION SCLEROTHERAPY FOR THE OUTPATIENT TREATMENT OF HEMORRHOIDS

The feasibility and early results of a new technique of outpatient proctoscopic coagulation of haemorrhoids by means of an electronic probe (Ultroid(R), Microvasive Inc., USA) were evaluated in comparison to conventional injection sclerotherapy. Age, symptom and sex-matched groups were analysed before and 6 weeks after outpatient treatment, using scoring systems (n = 51). A mean of 6.2 +/- 0.4 ml of phenol in oil were injected over 2.4 +/- 0.2 min compared to a mean current of 15.8 +/- 0.2 mA over a period of 11.9 +/- 0.8 min (p < 0.001, treatment time). Sclerotherapy was found significantly less tedious than coagulation. More patients complained of discomfort during coagulation, but the difference in tolerance scores between the 2 groups was not significant. Three patients in the coagulation group but none in the injection group refused to be treated by the same method again due to discomfort. Significant benefits were achieved by both modes of treatment after 6 weeks. The early cure rates for bleeding were 84% for sclerotherapy and 64% for coagulation (p = 0.2) and for prolapse 56% and 44% respectively (p = 0.72). Injection sclerotherapy is preferable to Ultroid(R) coagulation for the outpatient treatment of haemorrhoids because it is a quicker, less tedious and more comfortable procedure with equally effective early results.