Our surgeons maintain an innovative proctology practice that treats the full range of anal and rectal conditions, including hemorrhoids, anorectal fistulas, anal fissures, anal warts, and pilonidal cysts.

Fissure repair
Therapy options for anal fissures vary according to the severity of the problem. In most cases, the application of a medicated cream (the most effective of which was invented by a Mount Sinai surgeon) will successfully treat the condition. Patients with ongoing pain may choose surgery, which divides a portion of the internal sphincter muscle. This procedure almost always relieves the pain and heals the fissure.

A new treatment uses Botox® injections to temporarily relax the internal sphincter, the effects of which usually last three to four months.

Fistula repair
Patients with anorectal fistulas have several treatment options. The surgeon can fill the opening with a fistula plug. An advancement flap procedure also removes the infected area and covers it with a healthy flap of skin from above, sealing the hole and allowing the area to heal.

Hemorrhoidectomy
This outpatient procedure removes the enlarged veins known as hemorrhoids from around the anus. Small hemorrhoids can be banded, with a small elastic band placed around the base cutting off the hemorrhoid blood flow to allow them to fall off the body. This procedure usually takes place in the surgeon’s office with minimal discomfort.

Procedure for Prolapse and Hemorrhoids (PPH)
This procedure offers a minimally invasive alternative to traditional hemorrhoid surgery. The surgeon uses a special stapler to reduce blood flow to the internal hemorrhoids, which typically shrink within four to six weeks. The entire procedure takes only a few minutes to perform.

The surgeon inserts an instrument into the rectum and removes the tumor without the need for an abdominal operation. This procedure is often appropriate for rectal cancers found at an early stage.

The surgeon removes the part of the colon with the tumor and nearby tissues containing lymph nodes. The procedure typically reconnects, or anastomoses, the healthy colon with the rectum.

Mount Sinai surgeons frequently perform this type of surgery with minimally invasive techniques (laparoscopy) that allow for less pain, faster recovery, and superior cosmetic results.

In rare cases, the surgeon cannot safely reconnect the two ends of the colon. Should this happen, the surgeon brings the free end of the colon through the abdominal wall, where it empties waste into a special appliance worn underneath the clothing. Though usually temporary, there are some cases in which the colostomy is permanant.

Occasionally, the surgeon cannot safely reconnect the two ends of the small intestine. When this happens, the surgeon brings the free end of the small intestine through the abdominal wall, where it empties waste into a special appliance worn underneath the clothing. Usually a temporary condition, there are some cases in which the ileostomy is permanant.

This procedure removes the colon entirely. It is often used to treat ulcerative colitis when patients do not respond to other treatments.

In most cases, the surgeon performs an ileoanal pull-through with a small bowel reservoir called a J-pouch [also known as an ileal pouch to anal anastomosis (IPAA)] to preserve the sphincter function and anus. This operation removes the colon and most or all of the rectum. The surgeon then creates a pouch from the patient’s normal small intestine and joins it to the anus.

This procedure is performed on patients with ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Individuals who have dysplasia or do not respond to medical therapy are also candidates for this procedure.

Mount Sinai surgeons have completed more than 2,000 of these operations since 1979, more than almost any other medical center’s staff in the world.

Doctors perform this procedure for those patients with Crohn’s disease who require surgery. It removes the part of the small intestine that enters into the colon (terminal ileum) and the first part of the colon (cecum), as well as the appendix. Mount Sinai surgeons were the first in the world to routinely perform this procedure using minimally invasive techniques (laparoscopy), and now perform the majority of them in this manner.

The surgeon removes the segment of sigmoid colon containing the diverticulitis and rejoins the healthy ends of the intestine. The procedure is often performed with a minimally invasive approach that decreases length of hospital stay and minimizes scarring, this allowing for a more rapid return to normal activities.

In this procedure, the surgeon works through the anus. He or she uses a surgical stapler to remove excess tissue in the rectum and to reduce deformities that can lead to chronic constipation.

This minimally invasive technique allows removal of small, early cancers and benign, non-cancerous tumors. Surgeons insert special cameras into the anal canal that allow them to operate without an abdominal incision. Patients therefore have fewer complications, shorter recovery times, and no visible scarring.