- THD is a safe surgical treatment for haemorrhoids removal with lasting results
- Reduced postoperative pain and recovery time
- Performed by our expert colorectal surgeons at our private London hospital
What’s on this page
Medically reviewed by Mr Piero Nastro, MD, MRCS, FRCS(Eng). GMC Number: 6037215, Laparoscopic, General & Colorectal Consultant Surgeon for The Private Clinic of Harley Street, London.
Last Reviewed December 13th 2023
Related Treatments
THD and HALO Treatment for Haemorrhoids
Transanal haemorrhoid dearterialization (THD) or haemorrhoidal artery ligation operation (HALO) are minimally invasive surgical procedures for treating haemorrhoids/piles.
Haemorrhoids are lumps caused by swollen veins that are located inside and around your anus. Many haemorrhoids get better on their own, but if you have haemorrhoids that are not improving after lifestyle changes and homecare then you should seek medical guidance to help relieve you of troubling symptoms.
Minimally Invasive Haemorrhoid Treatment
When searching for haemorrhoid treatment, there is a wide variety of techniques available and many patients are keen to choose one that promotes a quick recovery time like THD or HALO.
What is THD?
Also known as doppler guided ligation, haemorrhoid ligation or haemorrhoidal artery ligation, THD is an innovative surgical treatment that is designed to cure haemorrhoids in a minimally invasive way. The procedure has been approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 2010 as an effective alternative to haemorrhoidectomy or stapled haemorrhoidopexy.
The procedure uses a micro- doppler ultrasound device to guide the surgeon to place a suture across the haemorrhoidal arteries. Haemorrhoidal arteries provide blood supply to the haemorrhoids so by removing these, the haemorrhoids should shrink.
What is a HALO treatment for piles and how does it differ from a THD procedure?
Haemorrhoidal Artery Ligation Operation more commonly known as HALO is an almost identical procedure to THD. The main difference between the two is that the name is based on the company that supplied the disposable proctoscope with an embedded Doppler ultrasound that the surgeon will use to perform the procedure.
At The Private Clinic, we use a THD doppler and will therefore predominately refer to the procedure as THD Treatment for Haemorrhoids.
Benefits of THD treatment for Haemorrhoids
- Minimally invasive haemorrhoid treatment
- Relief of haemorrhoid symptoms
- Does not cut or remove any haemorrhoidal tissue
- Reduced postoperative pain and recovery time
- Minimal risk of post-operative complications
- Long lasting results
- No need for overnight hospital stays
Self Pay Haemorrhoid Treatment
Haemorrhoid consultations are available to book at our discreet clinics in Birmingham, Manchester and London Harley Street.
Our haemorrhoid treatment options are available as a private self-pay treatment. We do not require GP or hospital referrals. Treatments can be undertaken at a time and date convenient for you with no waiting lists.
THD and HALO Treatment for Haemorrhoids at a glance
Procedure Time
30-40 mins
Anaesthetic Type
General anaesthetic
Hospital Stay
None, daycase
Support Garment
None
Washing
24 Hours
Sleeping
n/a
Driving
1 Day
Up & Mobile
Immediately
Sexual Activity
1 – 2 weeks
Back to Work
1 week
Exercise
1 – 2 weeks
Travel
1 – 2 weeks
Recovery Time
1 – 2 weeks
Final Results
1 – 2 weeks
Ask us a question
What to Expect
THD Treatment for Haemorrhoid Consultation
A consultation will take place with one of our colorectal surgeons who are experts in treating haemorrhoids. Your surgeon will:
- Listen to your concerns regarding your haemorrhoids
- Review your medical history
- Assess your haemorrhoids
- Discuss the best options suited to you
- Detail the risks and complications
- Review your expectations from Transanal haemorrhoid dearterialization surgery
- Detail what will happen on the day of the procedure
- Go through the recovery and aftercare required
You will then meet with your dedicated patient coordinator who will provide you with a detailed treatment plan with full cost and pricing details so you can leave feeling well-informed and able to decide if to go ahead with treatment or not.
HD Treatment for Haemorrhoid
In the interests of patient safety, all our patients are assessed against our patient selection criteria. Following your haemorrhoid treatment consultation and review of your past medical history, the physician or pre-operative nurse will decide if any pre-operative tests are required ahead of your procedure. If considered to be appropriate, these may include routine blood tests.
You will be provided with a pre-operative instruction sheet ahead of your procedure which will help you to prepare for your haemorrhoid treatment.
THD Treatment for Haemorrhoids
Transanal haemorrhoid dearterialization is performed under general anaesthetic and takes around 30-40 minutes to complete.
- A proctoscope, which has the THD embedded micro- Doppler ultrasound device is placed into the anus which enables the surgeon to reach the exact position of the blood supply that is supplying the haemorrhoids.
- A precise knot and stitch is made around the haemorrhoidal arteries which stops blood from flowing through them. As a result, this will cause any haemorrhoids or piles to shrink over time.
- An additional stitch can also be made, if required, to help pull the loose haemorrhoidal tissue up into the back passage and tighten the skin. This is known as a Mucopexy and is often performed in combination with THD treatment to achieve the best results.
- The Doppler is then used again to ensure that the blood supply has been tied off and is no longer supplying the haemorrhoids.
The treatment is known as being minimally invasive as it does not require cutting any tissue which means there will be no raw or open wounds to heal post-procedure. The procedure is performed in an area of the rectum that sits above the anal canal. This area has very few nerve endings and little sensation meaning there is very little risk of pain in the area being felt after the procedure.
THD Treatment for Haemorrhoids Aftercare
Following your THD procedure, you will be closely monitored in hospital for a short time before being discharged the same day by your surgeon once they are happy with your recovery. The rest of your recovery period will be carried out at home.
THD / Halo procedure for haemorrhoids recovery time
Overall, THD does have a shorter recovery period in comparison to a haemorrhoidectomy procedure. Most patients can return to their usual daily activities after 1 week.
Medication
A course of medication including painkillers will be provided to patients following the procedure to help them feel comfortable.
Bathing
Showering and bathing can be resumed 24 hours post procedure. Sitz baths may be recommended for the first two weeks to help keep the area clean, especially after bowel movements.
What is a sitz bath?
A sitz bath is a warm shallow bath of usually around 2-3 inches of water. It can take place in a bathtub or designated kits can be purchased that sit over a toilet. The bath should be sat in for 10-15 minutes. Add any bath salts, oil or other substances to the bath should be avoided unless advised to by your surgeon. Once out of the bath, the bathed area should be patted dry with a warm towel and the water in the bath disposed of. You may be recommended to have multiple sitz baths a day to keep the area clean whilst also providing relief from any pain or discomfort following bowel movements.
Return to work
We recommend that patients allow 1 week off work, however this will depend on the requirements of your job role. Your surgeon will be able to advise further on this, but overall you should be comfortable and feel confident that you are able to fulfil your duties.
Exercise
Excessive physical exertion or straining should be avoided for 1-2 weeks following THD treatment for haemorrhoids. Light physical exercise such as walking can be resumed a few days following your procedure.
Driving
Driving should be avoided for at least 24 hours but overall, it is best advised not to drive whilst on painkiller medication. We would recommend letting your insurance company know of your circumstances as you may not be covered for a certain period of time following surgery. When you return to driving you should have full control of the car and be able to perform an emergency stop comfortably.
Lifestyle
We recommend that patients maintain a high-fibre diet and stay well-hydrated at all times to avoid painful bowel movements caused by constipation during recovery.
The Private Clinic have collaborated with Chrysalis Finance to offer 0% finance for our patients.*
*Acceptance is subject to status. Terms and conditions apply.
FAQs
Whilst both Haemorrhoidectomy and THD/HALO procedures are still carried out under general anaesthetic. THD/HALO has a much shorter recovery time as no cuts are made to the sensitive skin around the anus.
THD uses a Doppler probe that not only locates the arteries but also sutures and stitches them. The probe remains in the same position making it very gentle and safe.
Haemorrhoidal artery ligation recovery
THD haemorrhoid treatment is not a pain free treatment, and some pain should be expected. Our medical team will provide you with painkillers to help manage any pain and discomfort. A small amount of bleeding is expected for the first couple of days.
Most patients are able to return to the majority of their usual daily activities within 1 week, but some patients may take a little longer.
Like all procedures, Transanal haemorrhoid dearterialization does have associated risks and complications which your surgeon will make you aware of before you decide to go ahead with treatment.
Risks include bleeding, infection, thrombosis, urinary retention, tenesmus and recurrence.
Yes, Transanal haemorrhoid dearterialization DHT and Haemorrhoidal Artery Ligation operation are both available on the NHS.
However, there is very strict criteria that you would need to meet before you are approved for treatment.
Very few haemorrhoid procedures are carried out on the NHS now following an NHS Clinical Commissioners group consultation that led to a reduction in funding.
As a result, many people seeking haemorrhoid treatment are now choosing private self pay treatments.
You can find out more about Haemorrhoid treatment on the NHS here.
There are alternative procedures to THD Haemorrhoid treatment.
HALO treatment is the same type of haemorrhoidal artery ligation operation but just performed using a different device. THD and HALO are essentially brand names. Surgeons are likely to perform one or the other depending on what device they own.
At The Private Clinic, we also offer Rafaelo Haemorrhoid treatment which is a non-surgical treatment that uses radiofrequency ablation to reduce blood supply to the haemorrhoid causing it to shrink.
This is an ideal treatment for patients with internal grade 1-3 haemorrhoids and can often be performed under local anaesthetic with minimal post-operative pain and downtime. Find out more here.
We also offer Haemorrhoidectomy surgery for patients who are not suitable for the minimally invasive options. This is a surgical procedure where the haemorrhoids are cut away. The recovery time is a little more extensive but great results can be achieved even on those with larger and more severe haemorrhoids. Find out more here.
Other treatments that could be used for haemorrhoid removal include banding (rubber band ligation) and sclerotherapy injections. We do not offer these treatments at our clinics as our Colorectal surgeons only pick the treatments, they feel are going to be most effective for our patients with the least risk of recurrence.
If you are unsure of which haemorrhoid removal procedure is going to be most effective for you. We recommend booking a no-obligation consultation with one of our top colorectal surgeons. They will go through all your options in detail. They will also perform an examination which will enable them to give their professional advice on which procedure is going to be most effective for you.
The cost of THD treatment for piles starts from £3,100.
A more accurate quote can be provided following your consultation.
Haemorrhoid removal procedures at our private clinics are performed by expert colorectal consultant surgeons who have years of experience in proctology care. You can rest assured that you will be in the best of hands and supported throughout your medical journey.
Our THD Haemorrhoid Treatment Clinics
Meet our Medical Experts
We have some of the most experienced Colorectal surgeons working with us who offer the most effective treatments for haemorrhoids and piles.
You can trust our experts to deliver a fast, effective and discreet service.
MD, MRCS, FRCS (Eng.)
GMC Number: 6037215
London Harley Street
BSc, MD, MBBS, FRCS (Plast.)
GMC Number: 4737010
Birmingham & Manchester
