OK, so this post is not about one of my normal subjects. But it is so important, I have to write it.

A family member has suffered from Grade III hemorrhoids for longer than she can remember. She’s had all the usual treatments including the rubber band treatment (twice) and a hemorrhoidectomy. Extremely painful procedures and never any significant relief.

Then, last month she visited my trusted surgeon, Nico Stevenson. He had recently heard of a treatment, newly brought to South Africa by a UK company called eXroid Technology Ltd.

In 2023, the company became one of the first to receive the Kings Award for Enterprise: Innovation. So, if it’s good enough for King Charles, it should be good enough for us!

Nico had not yet undertaken this treatment but had been advised that it is non-invasive, can be performed in rooms optionally without anaesthesia, and is effective on grades I, II and III hemorrhoids.

It involves passing a DC current of up to 16mA (sixteen thousandths of an amp) through the hemorrhoids to interrupt the blood flow and shrink them. It takes an average of about 10 minutes per hemorrhoid.

He undertook to speak to other surgeons who had performed the procedure and find out how effective it had been. He got great feedback and agreed to give it a try.

He elected to do this, his first, in theatre with the patient under mild sedation.

Goodbye hemorrhoids!!!!

Absolutely remarkable results. All symptoms including pain and bleeding gone.

They do say that additional treatments may be necessary for a complete cure, but this seems unlikely in our case.