RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Hemorrhoidal disease is still one of the most prevalent proctological diseases. Pain is the most common complication after surgery but bleeding, urinary retention and perianal infection are also frequent. There is also an important group of patients, such as those with inflammatory bowel disease, pregnancy or immunosuppression, who can present an increased rate or more severe complications. OBJECTIVE: To describe the complications following different surgical and instrumental techniques for hemorrhoids in a literature review. Special situations were reviewed to determine how they affect the management of the disease. METHODS: During August 2019, a narrative review of hemorrhoid surgery complications and special situations was performed using the Pubmed MESH DATABASE. CONCLUSION: Pain, urinary retention and bleeding remain the most frequent complications after surgery for hemorrhoids; however, special situations must be taken into account in order to choose the best technique to prevent more severe complications.