Polypectomy Surgery

Polypectomy surgery is a noninvasive surgical treatment. The entire procedure is executed under the eyes of the surgeon or endoscopy specialists to remove formation of polyps, from the certain body organ. Polyps are the growth of abnormal cells that can form in the inner lining of any organ, including stomach, nose, uterus, gallbladder, intestine, etc. 

Polyps are recognized as abnormal tissues or body cavities that grow into the hollow space of the particular organ. Usually, these are not harmful however, oftentimes it can be pre-cancerous can lead to cancer. Some polys may develop in large size and can affect blood-flow and pose pressure on the organ, and can cause various symptoms. As a consequence, it can cause other health complications as well. Therefore, doctors suggested Polypectomy surgery to the patients in order to remove the polyps from inside the body.  

When is Polypectomy Treatment Needed?

Many growths of polys are non-cancerous, but these eventually become cancerous if not treated on time. Therefore, Polypectomy surgery is recommended to prevent the growth of these abnormal tissues. After removal, polyps are examined in the labs for prevention of different kinds of cancers, including colon, stomach, and gallbladder cancer. Polypectomy surgery might be suggested to remove large sized polyps as well. These big size polyps puts pressure on the organ and cause various symptoms these including:

• Frequent Bowel movement 
• Uncontrolled rectal bleeding
• Severe pain
• Feeling pressure on the particular organ
• Blockage of blood vessel 
• Infertility
• Menstruation issues 

Although the symptoms may vary person to person, and also depend on which body organ is affected by the polyps. However, polyps mostly affect the uterine and colon. 

Advantages of Polypectomy Surgery

Polypectomy procedure efficiently reduces the polys from the inner lining of the certain body organ. There are many benefits of the procedure, these include:

• No scars
• Minimally invasive
• Low pain procedure
• Less time consuming
• No external cuts and stitches

Pre-Procedure Consultation For Polypectomy

Pre-Consultation involve following steps for evaluating polyps:

• The doctor would advise you not to eat heavy food and suggest to consume liquid meals 24 hours before the procedure.
• Doctors need to do a colonoscopy (a diagnostic test that detects colon polyp & evaluate their location and size) test for removing polyps. 
• For colonoscopy tests a patient’s needs to undergo bowel preparation 1-2 days before. 
• Bowel preparation includes laxative, a stool softener that is used to treat constipation, an anema fluid given to the patients for clearing bowels. Lastly, a liquid diet, like soups and juices. 
• The patient’s vitals, like heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, sugar level, and oxygen level will be examined right before the Polypectomy.

Potential Risks of the Surgery

Polypectomy surgery is an effective method to remove the polyps from the body. However, the procedure could be risky and can pose following complications. 

• Recurrence of the Polys
• Incomplete removal
• Post-Polypectomy thermal injury
• Infection
• Internal bleeding
• Fever
• Chills 
• Organ perforation
• Transmural burn from the electrocautery device
• Irregular heartbeat
• Abdominal bloating 

Polypectomy Surgery Process & Its Cost

The Polypectomy surgery process is opted when the size of polyps becomes large and causes various symptoms. Although its cost range in India is estimated at INR 30,000 to 90,000. 

However, its final cost depends on various factors like type of surgery, doctor expertise, city, and hospitalization. The whole procedure involve different medical technique and certain steps, which are as follows: 

• Once the doctor does a physical examination, then he/she determines anesthesia to the patient according to his condition.
• Then the patient lies on the bed, knees pulled towards his chest. 
• After that, the doctor inserts a colonoscope through anus, into the rectum, and the colon. A patient may experience little pressure however, it does not hurt much.
• While performing the procedure, the surgeon might use a gas to inflate your colon to enhance the visibility. 
• The colonoscopy will capture images of the colon and project them on the screen to evaluate location and size of polyps. 

Once the poly is detected, polypectomy will be executed by the surgeon through following techniques these include:   

Snare Polypectomy  

• This technique involves a thin wire (snare) that will be linked to one end of the colonoscope. And inserted into the colon detected the location of the polyp. 
• The snare loops around the polyp generates heat that will scrape or cut off the polyp. The whole polyp will be removed through the colonoscope.  

Note: Technique is beneficial to remove small size polyp.

Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR) & Piece-Meal Polypectomy

• This technique is used to remove large size polyps that are causing problems. 
• In this process, a saline solution is injected to lift the poly from its location. 
• Then a snare is inserted through the colonoscope and with the help of it the polyp is reduced as a whole. 
• The heat generated by the snare cuts off the polyp from its base location. 
• When the polyp is entirely removed it is sent to the lab for further testing and investigation. 
• The whole process of Polypectomy surgery takes 30 minutes to 1 hour time duration however, it may depend on the complication of polyp and the technique which is used in the process. 
• Once the procedure is done the patient can go home on the same day.
• The recovery from the surgery usually takes 2 to 3 days, but the patient must take rest and follow all instructions given by the doctor.