Infrared coagulation (otherwise known as “IRC”) therapy, is a procedure used to treat hemorrhoids that are small or medium in size. A physician will use a device which is introduced into the anus through an anoscope to apply infrared light to the hemorrhoid, which causes some of the hemorrhoidal vessels to clot off and scar tissue to form. This scarring attempts to cause the hemorrhoids to shrink, relieving the patients’ symptoms.
With IRC, a patient will need multiple treatments and the wait period between treatments is usually 90 days. During treatment, patients may feel some pain or heat.
While IRC can effectively treat some smaller hemorrhoids – typically up to a small grade II – it isn’t effective on larger hemorrhoids. In addition, IRC therapy has a higher recurrence rate than the banding with the CRH O’Regan System.
