Q: I am suffering from grade three haemorrhoids (piles). There is no bleeding but a lot of pain and discomfort. I want to know if surgery is the only way to treat grade three piles? What are the side effects of surgery? The doctor has advised me to go for surgery by gun method (MAS). Is this permanent or does it have to be repeated after some time? How much time will it take for a complete recovery after surgery? I am scared of surgery and its after effects.

A:From your description, you have piles that require surgery. The gun, or stapler as it is also called, is among the best methods of treatment. Side effects are: bleeding, pain and urinary difficulty after surgery. Significant bleeding is rare. Urinary difficulty may last only for a few hours. Pain is variable, and lasts from one to five days. However, pain with the stapler is much less than after conventional surgery. Surgery has a success rate of over 98%. Recurrence is rare. I think that you should accept surgery.