Colon Polyp Removal

What Is Colon Polyp Removal?

In the US alone, over 50,000 patients die of colorectal cancer (aka colon cancer); a disease that is often treatable when diagnosed early.  Many strains of colon cancers start as colon polyps which develop into their cancerous forms within a decade of appearing in the colon.  As a result, many doctors advocate colon cancer screening and colon polyp removal for at-risk patients.  Seniors, overweight individuals, heavy drinkers, and those with high-fat diets often fit this category.   

The process of removing colon polyps is fairly straightforward.  A colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy tube with a wire loop is used to cauterize the polyp and its base completely.  Larger polyps that cannot be removed using the flexible colonoscopy tube are typically removed via laparoscopy while the patient is under general anesthesia.  This colon polyp removal process involves going through the abdominal wall using a flexible camera and various cutting instruments for incisions.