[Laparoscopic surgery for endoscopically irretrievable colonic polyps].
AIM: The vast majority of benign colorectal neoplasms can be safely removed by colonoscopic polypectomy; while peduncolated polyps can be easily endoscopically excised, the removal of sessile polyps may be more difficult. METHODS: Between January 1997 and December 1998, 12 patients underwent laparoscopic or laparoscopic-assisted colonic resection for treatment of endoscopically irretrievable colonic polyps; this group was compared to 12 patients who underwent a laparotomic approach for polyps in the same period of time and to 23 patients who previously underwent similar laparoscopic resections. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between laparoscopic and laparotomic groups. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic or laparoscopic-assisted colonic resection for treatment of endoscopically irretrievable colonic polyps remains our preferred method of treating these lesions.