[Risk of surgical polypectomy in the colon (author's transl)]

Morbidity and lethality of 143 patients who had undergone surgical polypectomy in the colon were evaluated retrospectively; the transanal, transphincteral and transabdominal approaches have been used. Because of the size of the adenoma transabdominal surgery was done in 92 patients (54 colotomy, 10 segmental resections, 28 more extended resections of the colon). Colotomy alone had a complication rate of 23.7% and a lethality of 3.3%. On comparing results of colotomy and coloscopic polypectomy it can be stated, that the surgical approach is no alternative any more because of its high complication rate. Surgery is only indicated, when polyps are too big to be removed by the coloscopic approach.