Aim: Polypectomy techniques in the removal of polyps in the 3-8 mm size range are inconsistent. The aim of our study was to compare cold (CSP) with hot snare polypectomy (HSP) in the occurrence of postpolypectomy bleeding in small colonic polyps 3-8 mm in size.
Method: In all, 414 consecutive patients with small colorectal polyps 3-8 mm in size were prospectively randomized into the CSP group and the HSP group.
Results: There was no early or late postpolypectomy bleeding in either group. Intraprocedural bleeding was significantly more frequent in the CSP group than the HSP group (CSP, 19/208; HSP, 2/206; P<0.001) but resolved spontaneously without any intervention in both groups.
Conclusion: The data show that the CSP technique is safe, effective and quicker than HSP for patients and it could be considered the ideal procedure for small polyp removal.
© 2011 The Authors. Colorectal Disease © 2011 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.