The Rafaelo® Procedure FAQs

Private Rafaelo® non-surgical haemorrhoid treatment is available at the following clinics.

London Haemorrhoid Clinic – 98 Harley Street, London, W1G 7HZ

Birmingham Haemorrhoid Clinic – 88 Hagley Road, Birmingham, B16 8LU

Manchester Haemorrhoid Clinic – 25 St John Street, Manchester, M3 4DT

The Rafaelo procedure is performed by Consultant Colorectal surgeons at our clinics.

Private colorectal surgeon near me

We have two experienced colorectal surgeons working with us at The Private Clinic.

Colorectal surgeon London

Mr Piero Nastro is our colorectal surgeon in London. He consults from our London Harley Street clinic offering the non-surgical Rafaelo® treatment for suitable patients alongside more traditional haemorrhoidectomy procedures.

Colorectal surgeon Birmingham & Manchester

Mr Amit Patel is our colorectal surgeon in Birmingham. He consults from our Birmingham and Manchester clinics where he is also able to conduct the minimally invasive Rafaelo® procedure.

Book a consultation at a haemorrhoid clinic near you.

The non-surgical Rafaelo® procedure has been very successful with the majority of patients in our clinics. It is also reported to have a 90% success rate.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has approved the Rafaelo® procedure when it is carried out with special arrangements for clinical governance, consent and audit or research (NICE interventional procedures guidance IPG589)

We recommend coming in for a consultation to discuss your symptoms and our specialists will be able to assess your suitability for the procedure and what your outcome from treatment is likely to be.

Rafaelo® is our first choice of Haemorrhoid procedure due to its minimally invasive technique and minimal downtime and post-operative pain.

Banding is a common technique used for treating grade 1-2 haemorrhoids. The technique involves attaching a small elastic band around the base of the haemorrhoid which reduces the blood supply resulting in it falling away after a week or so.  The application of these bands can be very painful and recurrence rates are high so it is likely you will need further treatment.

The Rafaelo® procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic as a walk in walk out procedure. There is no downtime and you will be able to return to daily activities immediately with minimal post-operative pain.

Where Rafaelo® is not suitable, we will endeavour to offer an alternative treatment that we feel is going to give you the best results.

Rafaelo® non-surgical haemorrhoid treatment is available on the NHS at selected hospitals across the UK. However, referral and waiting lists can often be months long and the eligibility criteria for treatment is very strict.

Patients with haemorrhoids or piles that are grades one or two are usually classed as being not suitable for NHS funded treatment.

Many patients choose to seek private self-pay haemorrhoid treatment instead due to these reasons.

We are able to offer patients a fast, effective and discreet service with no waiting lists. We prioritise non-surgical haemorrhoid treatments to help ease symptoms and get you back to your normal routine quickly.

Book a consultation with our Consultant Colorectal Surgeon to find out more.

Rafaelo treatment is a minimally invasive procedure for internal haemorrhoids that uses radio frequency technology to significantly reduce or remove haemorrhoids. A similar version of this technology that was used to treat varicose veins was modified to be suitable for haemorrhoids. The treatment involves inserting a specialised needle probe into the haemorrhoidal cushion where radio frequency energy is then applied with the aim of restricting blood supply which causes the haemorrhoid to necrose and fall away from the area which results in a relief from symptoms.

The Rafaelo® procedure takes 15 minutes to perform.

Slight discomfort may be felt during the first part of Rafaelo treatment when the local anaesthetic is injected. This is a sharp scratch but once it takes effect, no pain should be felt during the treatment. If required, mild sedative may be available to help you relax.

No the Rafaelo procedure is not a laser, it uses radio frequency energy which reduces the blood flow to the area forcing the haemorrhoid to shrink and eventually disappear.

All treatments and procedures have risks and these will be discussed with you in detail during your consultation. The potential risks or side effects of the Rafaelo® procedure includes some possible discomfort after the procedure, small amount of discharge, recurrence of symptoms, infection of the treatment area and minor bleeding within the first couple of weeks post-procedure.