I Had Hemorrhoid Surgery at 51 After Years of Waiting—Here’s What It Really Takes

If you’re reading this while sitting uncomfortably, you probably know why. You’ve been searching for answers about bleeding, prolapse, or whether surgery is the only way out.

I’m not a doctor writing a medical article. I’m someone who suffered with hemorrhoids for years, finally had surgery, and lived through every part of the recovery.

I am Frank. I’m 51. I used to be a surgeon, and later worked in Johnson & Johnson’s endoscopic surgery division. Today, I help international patients come to China for medical treatment. This article is about hemorrhoids.

But I’m not here to sell you anything. I just want to tell you how I went from “I’ll wait a little longer” to “I need this done” — and what the recovery really felt like.

I Was a Doctor, and I Still Waited Years

Here’s something you might not expect: I knew more about hemorrhoids than most people, and I still put it off for years.

When I was a surgeon, I assisted in several hemorrhoid operations. The main procedure was the Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy​ — the classic open surgery. You remove the hemorrhoids, tie off the base, leave the wound open, and preserve enough skin and tissue to prevent the anal canal from becoming too narrow.

What stayed with me were the referral cases. Patients who had aggressive surgery elsewhere and ended up with anal stenosis​ — a narrowed anal canal that made bowel movements a nightmare. That taught me an early lesson:

With severe hemorrhoids, surgery is not about removing as much as possible. It’s about removing the disease while protecting the anal canal.

Later, at Johnson & Johnson, I watched PPH (stapled hemorrhoidopexy)​ enter the Chinese market. The marketing was attractive: smaller wounds, less pain, faster recovery. I thought: if I ever need surgery, maybe PPH.

Meanwhile, my own hemorrhoids had progressed from “sometimes comes out, goes back in” to “stays out.”

My Mistake: I Researched Too Much and Acted Too Late

Like many doctors who become patients, I studied every option:

• PPH (stapled hemorrhoidopexy)
• Ion therapy
• Copper-ion therapy
• Ultrasonic hemorrhoidal artery ligation
• “Painless daytime hemorrhoid surgery”

I even thought about making proctology treatment my specialty.

But my case was not mild. I had severe circumferential mixed hemorrhoids. With this condition:

• Remove too little → recurrence, second surgery
• Remove too much → anal stenosis, scar tissue, the suffering I had seen years earlier

Some people would rather accept a higher chance of a second or third procedure than go through a more thorough surgery once. I understand that choice. But for me, the calculus was different.

PPH has its indications, and it works well for many patients. I’m not here to criticize it. But for my specific case, I chose not to go with PPH. I wanted a procedure that removes enough while preserving anal function — and that pointed me to Milligan-Morgan, performed by a high-volume surgical team.

This is my personal choice for my own case. Your situation may be different, and your doctor’s recommendation should always come first.

What Finally Made Me Decide

Bleeding from the rectum always needs to be taken seriously. Colorectal cancer must be ruled out​ — anyone with rectal bleeding, anemia, weight loss, or changed bowel habits should get properly checked.

But what finally pushed me to surgery wasn’t fear of cancer. It was daily life:

• Walking a bit too long → blood on my underwear
• Bleeding heavy enough that even a pad couldn’t keep my clothes clean
• Prolapse that no longer went back in

I had become my own worst patient. A person who knew the medicine — and that was exactly the problem. I weighed every option: minimally invasive but maybe not thorough enough; thorough but painful recovery. The more I knew, the harder the decision became. So I kept putting it off.

So here’s my honest advice: Don’t use yourself as a test case for “how long can I tolerate this.” Hemorrhoids don’t get better by waiting. The younger and healthier you are when you have surgery, the easier recovery usually is.

A Few Words About Surgery Options

People often ask “which surgery hurts the least.” I understand. But let me be honest:

Hemorrhoid surgery is not about choosing the least painful option. It’s about choosing the right option for your condition.

• Grade I–II hemorrhoids: Bleeding with no prolapse, or prolapse that goes back in by itself. Surgery is usually not needed. Treatment is conservative — sitz baths, topical creams, suppositories. Surgery is not the first step.
• Grade III–IV hemorrhoids: Prolapse that must be pushed back by hand, or stays out permanently — with bleeding, pain, and daily-life impact. In China, patients have a wide range of surgical options at this stage — banding, copper-ion therapy, plasma, PPH, or Milligan-Morgan open surgery. You can discuss with your doctor and choose what fits your case. In some countries, however, patients must first try less invasive procedures — such as banding, arterial ligation, or PPH — and only after those fail are they considered for Milligan-Morgan.

My personal choice for my own case: classic Milligan-Morgan, done by a high-volume surgical team, with strict attention to preserving the anal canal.

Choosing the Hospital

I compared several hospitals in Beijing.

I chose a general surgical hospital​ — not a specialized proctology hospital. Why? Because this team did a very high volume of anorectal surgery. They treated it as routine. The surgeon looked, understood the anatomy immediately, and there was no unnecessary drama or upselling.

This is exactly what you want. Hemorrhoids are common, but for each patient, it’s a big deal. That’s why you want a team that does this surgery every day.

In China, the process can be very fast:

• Quick consultation — a finger exam is usually enough to diagnose, simple and immediate
• Colonoscopy or further tests only if needed
• Admission
• Surgery
• Discharge
• Follow-up

No waiting three months just to discuss whether surgery is allowed.

Surgery Day: I Ordered Two Meals

Before surgery, my roommates looked at me strangely because I ordered two meal portions.

Why?

1. I wanted to eat enough to produce enough stool volume. Having enough bulk makes bowel movements easier after surgery — you’re not dealing with a tiny, dry, hard stool.
2. I was worried about not getting enough fiber.
3. I had seen the suffering caused by anal stenosis. I was not going to let “not pooping” become “narrow canal.”

On the operating table, I wasn’t nervous. Not because surgery is trivial — but because I trusted the team’s experience. Surgeons who do this procedure every day don’t improvise. They want clean anatomy, controlled bleeding, preserved tissue, no stenosis.

When I woke up: no throat discomfort — I had general anesthesia with a laryngeal mask airway, not endotracheal intubation, so no coughing and no throat irritation from the tube. I mention this because different anesthesia methods come with different post-op concerns, and it’s worth knowing which one you’re getting.

I sat up, drank water, messaged my family: safe. I ate most of the vegetables from both meals, and went back to sleep.

Urination was annoying — common after anorectal surgery. At first, nothing came out. Water, relaxation, time, more water, the sound of running tap — eventually it worked. One roommate struggled for almost a full day and nearly needed a catheter.

Lesson: Drink enough water. If you still can’t urinate, change your position — stand up if you can, or listen to running water. These small tricks usually solve the problem.

The Wound Nobody Shows You in Brochures

My hemorrhoids were circumferential, so the surgeon worked on the classic positions — 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 o’clock​ — and removed six hemorrhoids.

I asked the doctor to take photos on my own phone. Not for sharing — just for my own record.

What I saw: open wounds, swelling, sutures. I knew what to expect.

If you search for “painless hemorrhoid surgery” and expect zero discomfort, you’ve been misled. Milligan-Morgan is not painless. It is thorough.

The first bowel movement hurt — like passing broken glass. Lidocaine gel? Limited help. Suppositories? Limited effect after surgery. What actually helps: keeping your stool soft enough, enough bulk, good timing, fluids, posture, and mental calm.

Here’s what the marketing doesn’t tell you:

The goal is not “no pain.” The goal is no stenosis, no recurrence, no ruined anal function.

Recovery: The First Two Weeks Are the Hardest

The first few days:

• Abdominal bloating
• Ten small painful bowel movements instead of one soft one
• No wiping — just rinse with water after each bowel movement
• Fear of narrowing

I managed my own routine:

• High-fiber diet
• Scheduled bowel movements
• Water cleaning, no harsh wiping
• Soft cotton protection
• Disposable underwear
• Gentle self-massage after 30 days, once the wound had basically healed — regardless of whether stenosis was present. No stenosis: massage helps maintain elasticity. With stenosis: massage itself is a form of assisted dilation.

At 2 weeks, the doctor’s finger exam: no stenosis.

At 30 days, another exam: no stenosis, no routine follow-up needed.

Full functional recovery can take 6–12 months. That’s normal.

Why Post-Surgery Care Is What I Care About Most Now

The hospital stay was less than 3 days. After discharge, the real challenge begins.

And this is exactly what I want to help with — post-surgery care at home.

Why? Because the biggest problem after hemorrhoid surgery is not “the surgery wasn’t done well.” It’s “nobody knows how to care for the wound afterward.” Hospitals don’t send nurses to your home. Family members don’t understand. Caregivers may not know either. And you’re afraid to touch anything.

I can help. I’m a former surgeon. I’ve had this exact surgery. I know what the wound looks like, what recovery involves, what’s normal, and what’s a warning sign.

I can come to your place and help with — and this is non-medical care:

• Cleaning the wound and keeping everything clean
• Guiding you on toilet habits and cleaning after bowel movements
• Helping you adjust your diet to avoid constipation
• Observing the wound and telling you “this is normal, don’t worry” or “this needs a doctor’s attention”
• Accompanying you to follow-up visits and translating for you

What I provide is daily care + professional observation and guidance. I don’t cross the medical line. But because I have a medical background, I can spot risks that an ordinary companion would miss.

I’ll tell you clearly when you need to see a doctor. You don’t have to guess.

This is what I mean when I say: I’m not just someone who queues up with you. I’m someone who understands medicine, has had this surgery, and knows every step of recovery.

Finally, Let’s Talk About the Numbers

My total hospital bill was RMB 8,940.77​ — including surgery, hospitalization, medication, materials, and nursing. I had domestic insurance, so my out-of-pocket portion was much less. But for international patients without Chinese insurance, this is the full self-pay amount they can expect to pay.

For many international patients, that number alone changes the conversation.

If you have:

• Hemorrhoids that prolapse and need to be pushed back
• Bleeding that stains your clothes
• Thrombosis and pain
• Failed banding, suppositories, or creams
• Fear of cancer but haven’t been checked

Then “wait and see” has expired.

Come to Airway MedBridge China. The surgery is one part. The weeks after — that’s what really determines your recovery.

And that part, we can help. Contact Airway MedBridge China

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoid surgery very painful?​

A: It is more uncomfortable than stapled or arterial-ligation methods, but for advanced mixed hemorrhoids it is often the most thorough. Pain is manageable with proper bowel care, water cleaning, and following your doctor’s instructions.

Q: Can foreign patients get hemorrhoid surgery in China?​

A: Yes. Many Chinese hospitals treat hemorrhoids with high surgical volume. International patient coordinators or private medical companions help with language, admission, translation, and recovery.

Q: How much does hemorrhoid surgery cost in China?​

A: In the author’s Beijing case, 3-day admission and Milligan-Morgan surgery cost RMB 8,940.77 all-in before insurance. International patients without Chinese insurance should expect this as their full self-pay amount. Prices vary by city, hospital tier, room type, and complications.

Q: Do I need surgery for Grade I or II hemorrhoids?​

A: Usually not. Most Grade I–II cases are managed conservatively with sitz baths, topical creams, and suppositories. Surgery is not the first step. But if symptoms progress, don’t wait until it becomes Grade III or IV — the earlier you deal with it, the better.