Introduction: Colonoscopy with polypectomy is an efficacious procedure in reducing the risk of colorectal cancer development, the precursor are adenomatous polyps. The most common method for resection of polyps measuring 4-10 mm are cold (CSP) and hot snare polypectomy (HSP). CSP has a lower incidence of adverse events, especially delayed post-polypectomy bleeding.
Aim: To evaluate the presence of immediate and delayed bleeding in the cold snare polypectomy of sub-centimeter polyps of the colon compared with hot snare polypectomy.
Materials and Methods: This prospective clinical study is comprised all patients who were incidentally detected to have adenomatous colonic polyps measuring 4-10 mm during a colonoscopy screening. Polypectomy was done with (hot snare) or without electrocautery (cold snare). After removal of polyps, immediate bleeding, delayed bleeding, and methods for were analyzed.
Results: The CSP and HSP groups included 116 patients, 113 (54.4%) polyps in 61 (52.6%) patients with CSP while 95 (45.6%) polyps in 55 (47.4%) patients with HSP. 25 (22.1%) polyps after CSP had immediate bleeding. In 5 patients (20.0%), five hemostatic clips were inserted after CSP for bleeding longer than 150 sek. The average percentage difference between immediate bleeding versus total number of resected polyps using the cold snare method is not statistically significant (p<0.05) (Difference test, p=0.0000). Delayed bleeding was not registered using this method. In the second investigated group (HSP), one patient had delayed bleeding. This was stopped with 2 clips. Immediate bleeding was not registered.
Conclusion: CSP is safer than HSP in resecting colon polyps sized 4-10 mm, without risk of delayed bleeding.
