Presbyterian Healthcare 
2003 News Releases
Surgeon a Leader in New Hemorrhoid Procedure
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August 25, 2003 Contact: Kevin M. McCarthy, Presbyterian Healthcare, 704-384-9669 |
A Charlotte surgeon is leading efforts nationwide to make available a new treatment for hemorrhoids that is significantly less painful than traditional surgery.
Brian L. Jerby, M.D., of Charlotte Colon and Rectal Surgery Associates, who is chairman of Presbyterian Hospital's Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, is a leading instructor for the new treatment, called the Procedure for Prolapse and Hemorrhoids (PPH). Dr. Jerby has trained more East Coast physicians in the technique than any other physician. He also has performed the surgery himself more than 100 times, one of only about 20 physicians nationwide who has reached that level since the procedure was introduced in the United States in late 2001.
PPH uses a circular-stapling device that removes a donut-shaped section of anal tissue and repositions or lifts the hemorrhoidal tissue, restoring the normal anatomy. The resulting reduction of blood flow to the hemorrhoids causes them to shrink within four to six weeks after treatment.
Because the procedure occurs above the nerves that cause pain, the amount of discomfort experienced by patients is much less than a traditional hemorrhoidectomy, which involves making an incision in tissue through the nerve-bearing region. Patient recovery times have also been shown to be much less than traditional surgery.
"When I first heard about the procedure, I was skeptical about how effective it would be," said Dr. Jerby. "I find that same skepticism among physicians that I train, but, like me, once they perform it themselves, they become converts very quickly. Today, colorectal physicians are hailing PPH as a revolutionary procedure in the United States and the most significant advance in the treatment of hemorrhoids in a generation," Dr. Jerby said.
In one study, 67 patients who had PPH were asked to rate their pain level on a Visual Analogue Scale, a horizontal line with values ranging from 0 to 10. Twenty-four hours after the procedure, the average pain score for these patients was 1.7, compared to an average score of 7 for those who received a traditional hemorrhoidectomy. In addition, PPH patients' pain scores plunged to zero within one or two days of treatment, compared to four to six weeks for traditional hemorrhoidectomy patients.
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins that stretch and descend into the anal canal, causing pain, itching and bleeding. Causes of the condition include constipation and childbirth. According to the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, hemorrhoids are one of the most common ailments in both men and women. More than half the population will develop the condition after age 30.
"Many people with a severe hemorrhoid problem have suffered in silence because of embarrassment or a fear of the pain associated with a traditional hemorrhoidectomy," said Dr. Jerby. "Im confident PPH will bring relief to many thousands of sufferers once more physicians are trained to perform the procedure."
Brian L. Jerby, M.D., of Charlotte Colon and Rectal Surgery Associates, who is chairman of Presbyterian Hospital's Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, is a leading instructor for the new treatment, called the Procedure for Prolapse and Hemorrhoids (PPH). Dr. Jerby has trained more East Coast physicians in the technique than any other physician. He also has performed the surgery himself more than 100 times, one of only about 20 physicians nationwide who has reached that level since the procedure was introduced in the United States in late 2001.
PPH uses a circular-stapling device that removes a donut-shaped section of anal tissue and repositions or lifts the hemorrhoidal tissue, restoring the normal anatomy. The resulting reduction of blood flow to the hemorrhoids causes them to shrink within four to six weeks after treatment.
Because the procedure occurs above the nerves that cause pain, the amount of discomfort experienced by patients is much less than a traditional hemorrhoidectomy, which involves making an incision in tissue through the nerve-bearing region. Patient recovery times have also been shown to be much less than traditional surgery.
"When I first heard about the procedure, I was skeptical about how effective it would be," said Dr. Jerby. "I find that same skepticism among physicians that I train, but, like me, once they perform it themselves, they become converts very quickly. Today, colorectal physicians are hailing PPH as a revolutionary procedure in the United States and the most significant advance in the treatment of hemorrhoids in a generation," Dr. Jerby said.
In one study, 67 patients who had PPH were asked to rate their pain level on a Visual Analogue Scale, a horizontal line with values ranging from 0 to 10. Twenty-four hours after the procedure, the average pain score for these patients was 1.7, compared to an average score of 7 for those who received a traditional hemorrhoidectomy. In addition, PPH patients' pain scores plunged to zero within one or two days of treatment, compared to four to six weeks for traditional hemorrhoidectomy patients.
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins that stretch and descend into the anal canal, causing pain, itching and bleeding. Causes of the condition include constipation and childbirth. According to the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, hemorrhoids are one of the most common ailments in both men and women. More than half the population will develop the condition after age 30.
"Many people with a severe hemorrhoid problem have suffered in silence because of embarrassment or a fear of the pain associated with a traditional hemorrhoidectomy," said Dr. Jerby. "Im confident PPH will bring relief to many thousands of sufferers once more physicians are trained to perform the procedure."
