Colorectal Polyps

Dr. Talbert is careful with the word polyp because it does not mean the same thing in every patient. Many polyps are benign. Some are the kind doctors do not want to leave alone. The size, location, colonoscopy findings, and pathology matter. A small polyp removed cleanly is one thing. A large polyp, a suspicious polyp, or one that could not be fully removed needs a different conversation.

Dr. Talbert usually sees polyps after a colonoscopy report lands on his desk. Sometimes it was a routine screening exam. Sometimes the patient was being checked because of bleeding, low blood counts, bowel changes, or a scan that raised a question. What matters is not just that a polyp was found. It is whether it was removed, biopsied, partly removed, or left because it needed a surgical review.

Dr. Talbert usually separates this into two questions. Was the polyp removed completely during colonoscopy, and what did the pathology show? Many polyps are handled by the gastroenterologist during the scope. Surgery comes into the discussion when a polyp is too large, looks suspicious, sits in a difficult location, or could not be safely removed that way.