Impact of enhanced bowel preparation on complications and prognosis following colonoscopic polypectomy

Colonoscopic polypectomy is a crucial procedure for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer, with its success and safety largely dependent on the quality of bowel preparation. Currently, polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution remains the standard method for bowel preparation, but its use may cause patient discomfort and incomplete cleansing.

To evaluate impact of enhanced and conventional bowel preparation protocols on the outcomes of colonoscopic polypectomy.

This retrospective cohort study collected data from 130 patients who underwent colonoscopic polypectomy between March 2023 and June 2024. Patients were divided into the conventional bowel preparation group (n = 65) and enhanced bowel preparation group (n = 65). Primary outcome measures included Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) scores, procedure-related parameters, complication rates, and prognosis. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.0, with P < 0.05 indicating statistical significance.

The enhanced group demonstrated significant advantages over the conventional group, with higher BBPS total scores (4.2 ± 0.7 vs 3.1 ± 0.8, P < 0.001), higher one-time complete resection rates (95.4% vs 83.1%, P = 0.01), shorter operative times (23.1 ± 4.8 vs 25.4 ± 5.2 min, P = 0.03), and lesser intraoperative blood loss (18.2 ± 4.5 vs 20.3 ± 5.1 mL, P = 0.04). Total complication rates were significantly lower (5.9% vs 16.9%, P = 0.05), particularly for bleeding (1.5% vs 16.9%, P = 0.01) and infection (1.5% vs 7.7%, P = 0.04). The enhanced group also showed lower 6-month recurrence rates (3.1% vs 10.8%, P = 0.05) and higher patient satisfaction (87.7% vs 76.9%, P = 0.04) than did the conventional group.

The enhanced bowel preparation protocol demonstrates significant advantages, particularly in improving surgical outcomes, reducing complications, and increasing patient satisfaction, underscoring its importance of its application during colonoscopic polypectomy.