Effect of cold snare polypectomy for small colorectal polyps

Colorectal cancer remains a considerable challenge in healthcare nowadays. Approximately 60%-80% of colorectal cancer is caused by intestinal polyps, and resection of intestinal polyps has been proved to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer. The vast majority of intestinal polyps can be found during colonoscopy and removed endoscopically. Therefore, more attention has been paid to the development of endoscopic resection of intestinal polyps. In this study, we compared the efficacy and safety of cold snare polypectomy (CSP) and hot snare polypectomy (HSP).

To investigate the efficacy and safety of CSP and HSP for colorectal polyps.

Between January and December 2020, 301 patients with colorectal polyps 4-9 mm in diameter were treated with endoscopic therapy in our hospital, and were divided into the CSP group (n = 154) and HSP group (n = 147). The operating time, incidence of bleeding and perforation, use of titanium clips, and complete resection rate were compared between the two groups.

We included 249 patients (301 polyps). No differences in gender, age, and polyp size, location, shape and type were observed between the CSP and HSP groups, and the resection rates in these two groups were 93.4% and 94.5%, respectively, with no significant difference. The use of titanium clips was 15.6% and 95.9%, the operating time was 3.2 ± 0.5 min and 5.6 ± 0.8 min, the delayed bleeding rate was 0% and 2.0%, and delayed perforation was 0% and 0.7%, in the CSP and HSP groups, respectively.

For sessile colorectal polyps < 10 mm, CSP had the same resection rate of impaired tissue integrity as traditional HSP had. The rate of complications was lower in the CSP group. CSP is a safe and effective method for polypectomy.