Lay summary
I am a resident medical officer who aims to develop a career in academic surgery. I am currently undertaking a PhD to improve the management of pain after haemorrhoidectomy. Surgical excision is the most effective method of treating haemorrhoids, however, the recovery is often excruciating, leading to increased consumption of analgesia and prolonged time off work. Three hypothesised mechanisms of post-haemorrhoidal pain are identified: bacterial infection, sphincter hypertonicity, and localised inflammation. These mechanisms can be targeted using topical drugs that work locally at the surgical site. I am currently conducting an active-controlled, randomised controlled trial of topical treatments used post-haemorrhoidectomy to relieve pain. The design is a four-armed factorial trial, which is double-blinded and 90% powered to detect a clinically significant difference. The results may benefit many thousands of people worldwide who undergo this painful treatment each year.