Colonoscopies make it easy to spot polyps in the lining of your lower small intestine and large intestine, commonly called the colon. Although polyps can often be removed during a colonoscopy, your Orland Park, Frankfort, Joliet, Oak Lawn, and New Lenox, IL, gastroenterologist, Dr. Kamran Ayub, may need to use another procedure to remove difficult polyps.

What are difficult polyps?

A polyp may be described as difficult or complex if it:

• Is larger than two centimeters (about the size of a cherry)
• Is too flat or in a hard-to-reach area
• Has large arteries that could bleed too much

Polyps can be benign (non-cancerous), pre-cancerous, or cancerous. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell for sure if a polyp is cancerous or pre-cancerous unless it's removed and sent to a laboratory for evaluation.

How can difficult polyps be removed?

Removing difficult polyps used to involve major surgery in the Orland Park, Frankfort, Joliet, Oak Lawn, and New Lenox areas. Fortunately, two non-surgical options are available today. You'll need to clear your bowels just like you did for your colonoscopy if your gastroenterologist will be performing either endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) or endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).

During EMR, your doctor will insert a flexible endoscopic probe with a lighted camera through your anus just as he did during your colonoscopy. The camera transmits images of the colon or lower part of your small intestine to a digital screen. Once your gastroenterologist locates the polyp, he will inject fluid under it to lift it away from the lining of the colon and make it easier to remove. He'll use tiny surgical tools to remove the growth and stop any bleeding.

If your polyp is deeply embedded, ESD may be a better option. This procedure also makes it easier to separate the polyp from the colon or small intestine and remove it without damaging the lining.

Depending on your results, you may need a follow-up colonoscopy in a few months and more frequent colonoscopies in the future.

Do you have a difficult polyp? If you live in the Orland Park, Frankfort, Joliet, Oak Lawn, and New Lenox, IL, areas, Dr. Kamran Ayub can recommend a procedure to remove your polyps. Call him at (708) 475-5233 to schedule your appointment.