Symptomatic haemorrhoids, or piles, have significant effects on quality of life. The
treatment for advanced disease is surgical excision (haemorrhoidectomy) which is extremely
effective. However, pain following haemorrhoidectomy is known by all to be a miserable
experience and current treatment is not very effective. We have formulated a new cream
treatment which targets three theorised mechanisms of pain after haemorrhoidectomy. We will
test the effectiveness of the treatments with a multi-centred randomised controlled factorial
trial with four parallel double-blinded arms containing different combinations of the active
agents. The outcomes include pain scores, amount of analgesia required and time to return to
work. The results of our study could provide evidence of an effective treatment for post
haemorrhoidectomy pain. The treatment may provide considerable benefit to patients undergoing
this surgical procedure.