How to treat bowel polyps?
There are several methods for treating polyps, but the most common procedure involves snaring the polyp during a colonoscopy. Snaring is like cutting the polyp off with cheese wire and is painless. Both of the above methods involve passing a flexible instrument called a colonoscope through your bottom and up into your bowel. The colonoscope has a wire with an electric current to either cauterise (burn off) or snare the polyp. In rare cases, polyps may need to be treated by surgically removing part of the bowel. This is usually only done when the polyp has some cell changes or is particularly large. After the polyp or polyps have been removed, they are sent to specialists in a laboratory, who will inform your consultant if: the polyp has been completely removed there is any risk of it regrowing there is any cancerous change in the polyp If there is a cancerous change in the polyp, you may need further treatment (depending on the degree and extent of change). Your specialist will be able to advise you on this.