Complications in colonoscopic polypectomy: lessons to learn from an experience with 1576 polyps.

One thousand five hundred and seventy six polyps were removed from 1190 patients. Polyp size ranged from 5 mm to 6 cm. Nineteen complications occurred, an incidence of 1.2 per cent. Bleeding was the most common complication, accounting for 53 per cent of all complications, followed by transmural burn (32%). Other complications included a "silent" free perforation, a snare-wire entrapment, and an ensnared bowel wall. Certain complications can be prevented provided the basic safety features are observed. Some complications require conservative management, others require an operation.