DR.ULHAS KULKARNI

SPECIALITY CENTRE FOR ANORECTAL PROBLEMS.

PILES – FISSURE- FISTULA SPECIALITY CLINIC

Introduction

Piles, fissures & fistula are the common problems occurring at the anus & rectum. About 25% patients attending the general surgical O.P.D are suffering from colorectal diseases. Out of these coloproctological problems about 75% patients suffer from diseases related to anal canal & rectum.

 

MYTHS & MISUNDERSTANDINGS.

 

Ample of myths & misunderstandings exists among the lay people about these diseases, like-

  1. There is no cure for the diseases in modern medicine & the recurrences are very common.

  2. The only treatment available in modern medicine, is the surgery for these problems.

  3. The operations are difficult, takes long for the recovery, there is severe postoperative pain, there are permanent side effects like loss of control over stools, or there will be narrowing of the anal canal.

  4. On the other hand, they also believe that, there are good medicines in homeopathy or Ayurveda which can cure these problems without the surgery.

 

Various reasons for developing these myths & misunderstandings.

  1. Firstly inaccessibility to view these parts which can not differentiate different problems & therefore, any problem occurring at the anus is referred as having piles.

  2. It is difficult to understand complicated anatomy & physiology of the organs concerned, in addition to the lack of scientific information.

  3. Social taboo, shyness & embarrassment to talk about the problems occurring at the anorectum, contributes to the development of myths & misunderstandings.

  4. Many a times talking about these problems even to the family doctor & getting examined properly is avoided by the patients.

  5. High recurrence rate in inexperienced hands adds to the problem.

  6. No much of scientific information is divulged through the print or audiovisual media about these diseases.

 

  1. Terminologies like coloproctology, colorectal surgery, anoractal surgery or proctology which describes about the specialty are difficult to understand for the common people.These patients do not know where to go. Therefore a specialty clinic under the simple name like “PILES, FISSURE & FISTULA CLINIC” if started, will be a great service to the society.

  1. These patients easily fall into the traps of the quacks, who offer them cure without any surgery & only with the medicines or external applications. As a result these patients are misdiagnosed, wrongly treated & they also suffer from serious complications. Many a times, anorectal malignancies which are curable if diagnosed at early stages are completely missed.