Mr Andrew Currie
Previous St Marks Research Fellow
Consultant Upper GI and Bariatric Surgeon, Derby
Benign polyps in the colon can turn into bowel cancer if left alone. They can usually be removed from the inside via a colonoscopy, but some polyps are too large or are in too awkward a position. In these cases, the only option is to remove them surgically by removing the entire section of bowel containing the polyp. This comes with major risks to the patient and could be seen as overtreatment since the polyps are not cancerous.
The team developed a new technique to remove polyps without removing the entire section of bowel. This technique involved carrying out an endoscopy to identify and mark the polyp and then using a keyhole stapling device to remove it.
The results of the first 10 patients undergoing this procedure have been published and showed that in 7/10 patients, the procedure was successfully completed. In 3/10 in was not possible and the patients required a bowel resection.
The technique is still under development but if it adopted by other surgeons, may mean that patients with large or inaccessible polyps can sometimes be spared a major operation.
Pelican supported this study with a grant of £14,500
The full research publication is available at FLEX_manuscript_CRD_revised_14022019.pdf