Skip to main content

Colorectal · UK

Stapled haemorrhoidectomy - lifting the piles, sparing the skin.

A circular stapler lifts prolapsed haemorrhoids back into the anal canal and interrupts their blood supply. Less external wound than conventional haemorrhoidectomy, and often a faster return to normal life for the right patients.

See indicative pricing
A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What a private stapled haemorrhoidectomy costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across our partner units.

In short

£3,500–£6,500, home day-case or one night.

Procedure Indicative range
Stapled haemorrhoidectomy (day-case) £3,500–£6,500
Stapled haemorrhoidectomy with overnight stay £4,500–£7,500
Combined stapled and skin tag excision £4,500–£7,500
Colorectal consultation only £220–£400
Proctoscopy in clinic £150–£300
Flexible sigmoidoscopy (extra) £900–£1,600

Prices vary by hospital, by the consultant, by approach, and by whether adjunct services are needed.

The problem

The right operation for the right pile - not for every one.

Stapled surgery is excellent for prolapsing internal haemorrhoids and disappointing for external skin tags or thromboses. Getting the indication right is the whole game.

  • Get the grade right

    Grade III haemorrhoids that reduce with a push are the sweet spot. Grade IV or predominantly external need a different operation.

  • External tags are not fixed by the stapler

    A patient who is bothered by skin tags will still be bothered afterwards. Combine the operation or plan a Rafaelo.

  • Rectal red flags before any operation

When it helps

When stapled haemorrhoidectomy is the right step.

The situations we see most, plus the one red flag that needs urgent attention rather than a routine booking.

  • Grade III prolapsing haemorrhoids

    Piles that prolapse on straining and need pushing back. The classic indication.

  • Grade II haemorrhoids after failed banding

    Two or three courses of banding without settled symptoms - surgery is the sensible next step.

  • Circumferential prolapse of mucosa

    A ring of prolapsing mucosa is lifted particularly well by the circular stapler.

  • Bleeding with minimal pain

    Painless bright red bleeding on the paper or in the pan - internal haemorrhoids amenable to stapling.

  • Post-pregnancy piles that persist

    Persistent haemorrhoids six months after delivery, unresponsive to fibre and topicals.

  • Combined with skin tag excision

    Where a patient has both internal prolapse and troublesome external tags, we combine the operations.

  • Recurrence after previous banding or Rafaelo

    Where minimally invasive options have not held, stapling is a reasonable step up.

  • Red flag: new bleeding over 45

    Painless bleeding with change in bowel habit or weight loss needs a two-week-wait colonoscopy first, not a booking for haemorrhoid surgery.

Options

Approach and technique both depend on the indication.

What each option involves - the surgical or clinical approach, and how it is tailored to each patient.

  • Classic stapled haemorrhoidectomy (PPH)

    A single circular stapler above the dentate line. The workhorse for grade III disease.

  • Combined stapled + tag excision

    Skin tags are excised at the end of the operation where they are troublesome.

  • Rafaelo procedure

    A radiofrequency alternative for smaller internal piles. Covered on its own page.

  • Haemorrhoidal artery ligation (HAL)

    Doppler-guided ligation without excision. Different mechanism - covered on its own page.

  • Conventional Milligan-Morgan

    Open excision. Better for grade IV and predominantly external disease. Longer recovery.

  • Ferguson closed haemorrhoidectomy

    Closed excision with sutured wounds. Similar recovery to open techniques.

  • Banding

    In-clinic option for grade I–II disease. Not a substitute for stapling in prolapsing piles.

  • Injection sclerotherapy

    Historic option, occasionally still used for grade I bleeding piles.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

A well-established treatment. The things worth planning are the approach, the aftercare and the follow-up.

  • Day-case is realistic

    Most patients home the same day. A single overnight stay for older, frailer or anxious patients.

  • Pain is milder than open surgery

    The staple line sits above the pain-sensitive skin, so early pain is usually less than a Milligan-Morgan.

  • Bleeding

    Minor bleeding for a few days is normal. Heavy fresh bleeding needs the same-day team or A&E.

  • Urgency and tenesmus

    A feeling of needing to go, often for two to four weeks. Usually settles with fibre and time.

  • Recurrence

    Long-term recurrence is higher than open surgery for grade IV disease. We say so before you consent.

  • Anal stenosis or dyschezia

    Rare. Anal dilators and physiotherapy usually resolve it.

  • Sepsis - rare but serious

    Fever, worsening pain and swelling need urgent review - same-day team or A&E.

  • Persistent skin tags

    External tags are not removed by the stapler. Combine excision at the same operation if they matter to you.

  • Red flags after surgery

    Heavy bleeding, fever, urinary retention or worsening pain need the same-day team or A&E - not a routine call.

Reading your notes

Your notes in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whichever approach was used, the note the consultant sends you keeps to the same shape.

A UK consultant reviewing a patient’s notes

A quiet reminder

Clinical language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.

If you would like us to talk you through the notes before your review, just ask.

  1. 01 Header

    Grade, indication, approach

    The haemorrhoid grade, why the operation was done, and which stapler was used.

  2. 02 Technique

    Purse-string and staple line

    How high above the dentate line the purse-string sat, and any adjunctive tag excision.

  3. 03 Findings

    Doughnut and haemostasis

    The circular doughnut of mucosa is inspected. Bleeders on the staple line are sutured on the table.

  4. 04 Impression

    Aftercare plan

    Read this first: laxatives, analgesia and the review timeline.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Stapled haemorrhoidectomy is usually covered when banding has failed or the disease is grade III with clear symptoms.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about stapled haemorrhoidectomy.

Quick answers on suitability, technique, cost and recovery.

  • How much does stapled haemorrhoidectomy cost privately in the UK?

    Roughly £3,500–£6,500 as a day-case, and £4,500–£7,500 with an overnight stay. Add £900–£1,600 if a flexible sigmoidoscopy is needed as well.

  • Is stapled surgery better than open haemorrhoidectomy?

    For the right patient - grade III internal disease with prolapse - stapling gives less early pain and a faster return to work. For grade IV disease or large external components, open surgery still gives more durable results.

  • How long is recovery?

    Back to office work in 5–10 days, back to full activity in 2–3 weeks. Expect urgency and mild bleeding for two to four weeks. Fibre and stool softeners for six weeks.

  • Will it come back?

    Recurrence at five years is higher than open haemorrhoidectomy in most studies, but the majority of patients stay symptom-free. Recurrence is often mild and can be re-treated.

  • What are the alternatives?

    Banding for grade I–II, Rafaelo for smaller internal piles, HAL for grade II–III, and open haemorrhoidectomy for grade IV or external-dominant disease.

  • When do I need a colonoscopy first?

Related treatments

Looking for something else?