For years cutting away the haemorrhoids (swollen tissue and blood vessels in the back passage) under general anaesthetic was the only way to treat more severe cases.
She'd been experiencing bleeding from the back passage -- a very common ailment, which always needs to be checked but usually turns out to be haemorrhoids.
Symptoms can include changes in bowel habits, i.e. from constipation to diarrhoea, pain or bleeding from the back passage or what might be thought to be piles or haemorrhoids.