Small sessile serrated polyps might not be at a higher risk for future advanced neoplasia than low-risk adenomas or...

Polypectomy surveillance colonoscopy is recommended according to the risk stratification of initially removed polyps. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of advanced neoplasia following low-risk SSPs compared with that following LRAs and polyp-free groups.

From September 2013 to August 2017, asymptomatic Koreans aged 50-75 years who underwent surveillance colonoscopy post-baseline colonoscopy were enrolled. The 1314 participants who met the study design criteria were stratified into three groups according to the presence of LRAs or low-risk SSPs. The rate of advanced neoplasia was then compared between groups by surveillance colonoscopy.

A total of 1314 participants were classified according to baseline colonoscopy findings: no polyp (n = 551), LRA (n = 707), and low-risk SSP (n = 56). All participants underwent surveillance colonoscopy after an average of 28.1 ± 8.7 months. The rate of advanced neoplasia at surveillance was not different between groups: no polyp group (13/551, 2.4%), LRA group (27/707, 3.8%), and low-risk SSP group (0/56, 0%). The LRA group exhibited a significantly higher rate of low- and high-risk polyps (47.5, 13.4%) than did the no polyp (35.6, 7.4%, p < .001, p = .001), but no significant differences to the low-risk SSP group (35.7, 7.1%, p = .117, p = .253), respectively.

Patients with low-risk SSPs were not at a higher risk of advanced neoplasia than LRA patients, even in the polyp-free group. We suggest that surveillance colonoscopy after the removal of low-risk SSPs is not required more often than for LRAs.