Postpolypectomy Bleeding Prevention and More Complete Precancerous Colon Polyp Removal With Endoscopic Mucosal Stripping (EMS)

Background and Aims: Postpolypectomy bleeding and incomplete polyp removal are important complication and quality concerns of colonoscopy for colon cancer prevention. We investigated if endoscopic mucosal stripping (EMS) as a technical modification of traditional cold snare polypectomy to avoid submucosal injury during removal of non-pedunculated colon polyps could prevent postpolypectomy bleeding and facilitate complete polyp removal. Methods: This is an Internal Review Board exemption-granted retrospective analysis of 5,142 colonoscopies with snare polypectomy performed by one of the authors (ZJC) at Minnesota Gastroenterology ambulatory endoscopy centers during a 12-year period divided into pre-EMS era (2005–2012, n = 2,973) and EMS era (2013–2016, n = 2169) with systemic adoption of EMS starting 2013. Change in postpolypectomy bleeding rate before and after EMS adoption and EMS polypectomy completeness were evaluated. Results: Zero postpolypectomy bleeding case was found during EMS era (rate 0%) compared with 10 bleeding cases during pre-EMS era (rate 0.336%). This difference was statistically significant (P = 0.0055) and remained so after excluding 2 bleeding cases of pedunculated polyps (P = 0.012). All bleeding cases involved hot snare polypectomy. Histological examination of the involved polyps showed substantial submucosal vascular damage in contrast to a remarkable paucity of submucosa in comparable advanced polyps removed using EMS. Both biopsy and follow-up colonoscopy examination of the polypectomy sites confirmed that EMS more completely removed non-pedunculated advanced polyps. Conclusions: EMS polypectomy was effective in preventing postpolypectomy bleeding and facilitated complete polyp removal.