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Every year in the United States, about 15 million colonoscopies are performed, and many of these involve polypectomies. Here’s a look at the benefits of polyp removal, which starts with preventing colon cancer.
While slightly more than 100,000 colon cancer diagnoses will be made in 2025 in the United States, the bright side is that this number is lower than a few decades ago, thanks to colon cancer screening.
Each year in the US, 15 million colonoscopies are performed, which is an incredibly effective screening tool for two important reasons: 1) early detection of colon cancer, and 2) cancer prevention through polyp removal.
At Fairfax Colon & Rectal Surgery, our extensive and skilled team of colorectal specialists understands the importance of the colonoscopy in screening for colon cancer. Here, we take a closer look at the polypectomy side of the colonoscopy and how it greatly benefits your health.
What are colon polyps?
The short answer to this question is that polyps are growths on the inside of your colon, or large intestine, and they can also grow inside your rectum. These growths are made up of abnormal cells, and anytime there are abnormal cells, there’s a risk of cancer developing.
That said, we want you to keep one important point in mind — most polyps are harmless, but almost all colorectal cancers start with a polyp. So, harmless or not, polyp removal is always a good practice.
Colon polyps come in different shapes and sizes, but most people are unaware of their existence as they typically don’t cause any symptoms.
In an overwhelming majority of cases, polyps are only diagnosed once we have a visual of the lining of your colon, which happens during a colonoscopy.
Removing polyps during a colonoscopy
The colonoscopies that we routinely perform often involve polypectomies. As we thread the camera through your lower intestine, we look for abnormal growths. When we spot one, we quickly remove it and save it for further study under a microscope.
To remove a polyp, we thread a wire loop through the colonoscope that delivers a quick electrical current to cleanly sever the growth.
You shouldn’t feel any of this, as most people are sedated for their colonoscopy.
Size and number of polyps can matter
If we find polyps during your colonoscopy and remove them, we note their number and size, as this can be important. The more polyps you have and the larger they are, the higher your risk for colorectal cancer.
We bring this up because, even if we find the growths to be benign, we may want you to undergo a colonoscopy more frequently to monitor any further abnormal growths that develop inside your colon.
Side effects of a polypectomy
The only real side effect that some patients report after their polyp removal is some blood in their stool for a day or two after the colonoscopy. So, if you see a small amount of blood, please don’t be alarmed.
The bottom line is that between the colonoscopy and polypectomy, we’re able to help our patients stay one step ahead of colorectal cancer.
If you have more questions about polyp removal or you’d like to schedule a colonoscopy, please contact our office in Fairfax, Virginia, at 703-280-2841 to set up a consultation.