Colon Polyps

If you have a hereditary condition that causes polyps to overgrow in the large intestine, you should begin frequent examinations at puberty. Your doctor may advise complete removal of the colon because there is a high likelihood of developing colon cancer by age 40. The other option is frequent screening with colonoscopy. How often you will need to have this done depends upon your age and what was seen on your last colonoscopy.

Treatment

Often, the doctor can remove polyps during a colonoscopy. This is done by cutting the polyp from the wall of the colon using an electrical current passed through a wire loop at the end of the colonoscope. Sometimes, open surgery through the abdomen is necessary to remove a very large polyp. For cancerous polyps, surrounding tissue or a section of the colon may be removed as well.