Combined Laparoscopy and Colonoscopy Takes Less Than One Day

The procedure can be improved with the laparoscopic placement of sutures where the polyp once was.

The procedure was developed for patients diagnosed with extensive or difficult-to-remove polyps in their large intestine, such as those that are flattened against the colon wall or in hard-to-reach places. Unlike regular polyps, these extensive or difficult-to-reach polyps until now have necessitated open surgery, which requires a three-to-seven-day hospital stay.

"It's reassuring to our patients getting preventive colonoscopies that no matter what kind of polyp we find, in almost all instances, we can remove it with minimal discomfort and inconvenience,” said lead developer of the procedure Dr. Jeffrey Milsom, professor of surgery at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and attending surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. "Unlike regular air that is used in traditional colonoscopic procedures, carbon dioxide doesn't cause the patient to become bloated or make the bowels distended. It also quickly deflates, giving us room to remove the polyp.”



Related Links:
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center