“Life is short, art is long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, and judgment difficult.”

— Hippocrates (460 BC377 BC)

Hemorrhoidal disease is among the most prevalent conditions globally. In particular, the increasing number of sedentary office workers and prolonged computer use, both hallmarks of mod ern life, have contributed to a rising incidence of this condition. Hemorrhoidal disease poses a considerable burden on national healthcare expenditures and adversely affects patients’ quality of life, leading to decreased productivity and personal wellbeing. Persistent anal discomfort and pain throughout the day can sig nificantly diminish patients’ daily functioning and psychological health. Furthermore, its potential to be misdiagnosed as rectal can cer remains one of the most critical challenges in clinical practice.

While many cases can be effectively managed with conser vative approaches such as lifestyle modifications, dietary ad justments, and pharmacological treatment, surgical intervention remains necessary for more advanced or refractory cases. This book offers a comprehensive review of hemorrhoidal disease, with a particular emphasis on surgical treatment techniques and the management of postoperative complications. Proper execution of surgical treatment is of utmost importance. The choice of surgi cal method must be tailored to the individual patient, and the sur geon’s experience is often as critical as the technique itself. Sur gical complications can have a significant negative impact on the patient’s quality of life. Their management represents a complex and demanding process for physicians and a burdensome, often painful, experience for patients.

The term hemorrhoid first appeared in English in 1398. It orig inates from the latin hæmorrhoida, which derives from the Greek term αἱμορροΐς (haimorrhois), meaning “liable to bleed.” This word is composed of αἷμα (haima, meaning “blood”) and ῥόος (rhoos, meaning “flow” or “stream”).

Hemorrhoidal disease was first mentioned in historical med ical texts around 1700 BCE in Egyptian papyri, where a topical cream was recommended. Many pioneers of medical science, in cluding Hippocrates (460 BCE), described ligation techniques for the treatment of hemorrhoids. Celsus (25 BCE14 CE) introduced and advocated both ligation and excision. Galen (129216 CE) outlined principles involving the severing of vessels supplying the hemorrhoids. Avicenna (Ibn Sina, 9801037 CE) included thera peutic approaches such as warm baths and dietary management in his seminal work The Canon of Medicine, which remained a standard text in Western medical education until the 18th century. Sabuncuoğlu Şerefeddin (13861468 CE), a prominent figure in Anatolian medicine, illustrated the surgical treatment of hem orrhoids—among many other procedures—in his work Cerrahi yyetü’lHaniyye (Imperial Surgery), widely considered the first illustrated surgical atlas.

In this book, we aimed to contribute to the dissemination of best practices in the treatment of hemorrhoidal disease by integrat ing uptodate scientific knowledge with traditional approaches. By sharing the insights and practical solutions of experienced sur geons in challenging cases, we endeavored to provide information that facilitates patients’ timely recovery and optimal outcomes.

I hope this work will serve as a valuable resource for our col leagues.

Prof. Dr. Bahadır EGE
Atılım University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of General Surgery,
Ankara, Türkiye