[Endoscopic polypectomy in the colon (author's transl)]

A report is given on the endoscopic removal of 81 polyps of the colon by means of high frequency diathermy. This procedure proved to be without risk to the patient and has largely replaced surgical removal by laparotomy as the method of choice today. Total removal of the polyp with subsequent histological examination is naturally imperative to avoid unnecessary subsequent radical surgical procedures. Since most colonic carcinomas arise in the base of a polyp, polypectomy represents a true prophylactic measure and, in some cases, a therapeutic one.