Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention in Postoperative Pain after Mixed Hemorrhoid Surgery

Abstract

Mixed hemorrhoids are common and frequently encountered diseases in anorectal surgery. Although surgery can effectively remove the lesions, postoperative pain remains an important issue affecting patients’ recovery experience and the quality of wound healing. Its occurrence is closely associated with the rich innervation and vascularity of the perianal region, surgical trauma, release of inflammatory mediators, sphincter spasm, defecation-related stimulation, and psychological stress. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, this condition is mainly attributed to incised-wound injury, damage to the meridians and collaterals, impaired circulation of qi and blood, and obstruction caused by damp-heat and blood stasis. It may also be accompanied by postoperative depletion of qi and blood and local malnourishment, manifesting as “pain due to obstruction” and “pain due to malnourishment.” In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine interventions have gradually developed into an integrated therapeutic model involving oral Chinese herbal medicine, herbal fumigation and sitz bath, external ointment application, rectal administration of suppositories, and acupuncture. Related studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine can exert analgesic, anti-edematous, and wound-healing effects by regulating inflammatory factors and pain-related mediators, improving local microcirculation, alleviating edema, and promoting wound repair. This article reviews the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine interventions for postoperative pain after mixed hemorrhoid surgery, aiming to provide a reference for their standardized clinical application.