Gastrointestinal endoscopic polypectomy

Recent advances in the field of gastroenterological endoscopy have now embraced endoscopic polypectomy. Experiences at the Royal North Shore Hospital over a period of one year include 42 colonic and three gastric polypectomies. Rectal bleeding was the main presenting feature in the patients with colonic polyps. All colonic polyps were situated between the sigmoid and transverse colon. Eighteen polyps were under 1 cm in size, 15 between 1 and 2 cm and nine over 2 cm. There was one carcinoma detected in each of these groups. No significant complications were encountered with any of these patients. The high yield of malignancy, none of which could be suspected on clinical or radiological grounds, more than justifies the introduction of this endoscopic procedure which will offer considerable saving from both the point of view of economic factors and personal discomfort.