Follow-up after transanal endoscopic microsurgery or transanal excision of large benign rectal polyps

Methods: Between January 1986 and December 1995, 238 patients with benign rectal polyps under-went either transanal endoscopic microsurgery (n = 226) or transanal excision (n = 12) at the Clinic of General and Abdominal Surgery, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz. Results: Mean polyp size was 4.2 cm; 89.1% of polyps measured more than 2 cm in diameter. In 89.1% of cases, histological analysis revealed polyps containing tubulovillous or villous adenomas. Synchronous colonic polyps were detected in 12.5% of patients. Follow-up data are available on 222 patients (94%). At follow-up examination, 169 of the 193 surviving patients (87.6%) were recurrence free. Seven of 193 patients (3.6%) had d…