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Rubber band ligation (RBL) is a procedure where elastic bands are applied to the internal haemorrhoid at least 1 cm above the dentate line, causing them to fall off about a week later.
This is a relatively painless procedure unless the band is placed too close to the dentate line. If this occurs, intense pain may result.
Rubber band ligation is only recommended for small grade 1 internal haemorrhoids. This convenient and relatively non-invasive procedure is successful in the short-term in over 50% of cases. Recurrence remains as high as 50%. Other procedures including haemorrhoidopexy (also called HAL RAR procedure) are recommended for larger haemorrhids.