Should gastric polyps be removed?

Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 15, 2024
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Gastric polyps are relatively common in clinical practice. For patients with gastric polyps, regular follow-up visits are the main focus, especially when the polyps are small, and particularly when they are less than 0.5 centimeters in size. We recommend that these patients have regular follow-up appointments, with a gastroscopy examination about every six months to a year being appropriate. Of course, if a patient has a history of gastric cancer and develops gastric polyps, especially larger ones over 1 centimeter in size, we recommend aggressive endoscopic removal. After removal, the polyps should be sent for examination to clarify their nature. Subsequent regular follow-up appointments are also necessary, typically involving a gastroscopy check every six months to a year. If gastric polyps continue to form, aggressive endoscopic removal treatment is advised. Therefore, treatment choices for gastric polyps vary depending on the size, location, and nature of the polyp, with regular follow-up as the primary approach and endoscopic removal when necessary.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
1min 27sec home-news-image

Do gastric polyps require surgery?

Gastric polyps are relatively common in clinical settings. Generally, patients do not exhibit symptoms and discover the condition either during physical examinations or incidental gastroscopic examinations. Of course, a small portion of patients may experience certain gastrointestinal symptoms, manifesting as dull pain in the upper abdomen, bloating, nausea, etc. The treatment for gastric polyps generally varies depending on the location, size, and number of the polyps. If the polyps are small, particularly less than 0.5 cm, it is recommended that patients undergo regular observations and gastroscopic examinations every six months to a year. If there are no significant changes in the polyps, symptomatic treatment may not be immediately necessary. However, if the polyps are larger, especially if they are numerous or larger than 1 cm, it is advisable for patients to have them removed via gastroscopy for biopsy to rule out the possibility of malignant changes. Therefore, for patients with gastric polyps, it is recommended to have regular follow-ups and consider endoscopic removal, which is generally a relatively safe procedure that should not be overly worrisome.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
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Is it serious if a gastric polyp becomes ulcerated?

A deteriorated gastric polyp is quite serious. Once a gastric polyp has deteriorated, active treatment is necessary because if not promptly treated, it could lead to complications such as bleeding, infection, or perforation, which could endanger the patient's life. Once a gastric polyp is definitively diagnosed, proactive intervention such as polyp removal is needed. Endoscopic polypectomy can be performed. If the polyp is large and has a wide base, making it difficult to remove via endoscopy, then surgical intervention may be required.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Postoperative care for gastric polyp electrocautery

After undergoing endoscopic polypectomy for gastric polyps, dietary adjustments should be made according to the number and severity of the polyps removed, as well as the patient's constitution. Generally, food should be prohibited for a few days post-surgery to minimize the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. Nutritional support can be provided parenterally, especially for elderly bedridden patients who should avoid pressure sores. It is important to frequently turn elderly patients, and wipe their backs and buttocks. About two weeks after surgery, the patient can transition to a normal diet, including milk and other nutritional supplements. The healing process for gastric polyp removal by electrosurgery typically takes about 6-8 weeks.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
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Is APC treatment for gastric polyps painful?

The treatment of gastric polyps is mainly focused on endoscopic procedures, including APC (argon plasma coagulation) treatment, which is quite suitable for gastric polyps. For patients, the APC treatment usually does not involve pain, so there is no sensation or suffering involved. Thus, APC treatment for gastric polyps is relatively appropriate and generally considered safe. The complications to be cautious of are not pain, but rather bleeding, such as gastrointestinal bleeding post-procedure. For gastric polyps, APC treatment may take varying lengths of time; it might be completed in just a few minutes under smooth conditions, but could extend to over ten minutes in some cases. Overall, this is a relatively mature and safe examination method.

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
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How to deal with the recurrence of gastric polyps?

The use of gastroscopy is becoming increasingly common, especially the implementation of painless gastroscopy, leading to a growing number of people undergoing this examination. Consequently, the detection rate of gastric polyps has also risen year by year. Generally, gastric polyps mainly include adenomatous polyps and hyperplastic polyps, among other types. Recurrence of gastric polyps is also a common occurrence. Typically, it is advocated to remove gastric polyps via endoscopic procedures such as ligation or electrocautery, etc. Furthermore, after the removal of polyps, it is routinely advised to regularly re-examine with gastroscopy. If polyps recur, they can be removed again under gastroscopy, usually not posing any major issue.