Adherence to European Polypectomy Guidelines: Retrospective Experience from a Tertiary Irish Hospital

The European guidelines for colorectal cancer screening state that snare resection should remove any polyps ≥5 mm. This study aimed to investigate if these new guidelines are adhered to in clinical practice.

This study consists of patients who underwent colonoscopies in Tallaght Hospital, Dublin (AMNCH), between 2012 and 2015. The size of the polyp, the method of removal, and the subspecialty and grade of the endoscopists were all recorded.

6,000 colonoscopies were reviewed and 687 (12.5%) of these patients were found to have polyps. In 655 (95%) colonoscopies, the caecum was positively identified. In all, 371 (54%) of the polyps detected were < 5 mm; resection via forceps was carried out in n405 cases (59%). Overall, 16% (n = 45) of the polyps > 5 mm underwent resection with forceps, showing that the new European guidelines are not being tightly adhered to.

This study found an 84% compliance with polypectomy resection guidelines which is an improvement on previous studies. However, endoscopist grade significantly affected compliance and may reflect overall competency, highlighting the need for specific training in snare polypectomy techniques.