When Is Polyps Removal Surgery Necessary? Signs That You May Need It

People often correlate surgery with two things —amputation and cosmetic. Hence, many think that patients who leave the surgery room only live with either two situations, missing limb or improved appearance. However, medical surgeries serve more purpose than cutting an extremity off or creating distinct features. Indeed, this specialization in medicine is not only essential in these scenarios. Surgery is also fundamental in managing and exploring disease progression. One of its remarkable applications is during a polyps removal surgery. Rightfully so, since polyps could get tricky without proper intervention. However, before you submit yourself under the knife, you should know your stuff. Knowing how much nasal polyps surgery costs can prepare you for the polyps removal surgery.

What Are Polyps?

On normal occasions, the body sheds off cells in the skin or cavity linings like the colon or airways. When the topmost layer sloughs off, the next new layer underneath will replace them, and the body will grow new cells. However, in some cases, this harmonious system gets interrupted. Instead of sloughing off, cells further divide and develop to form new tissue or structures. And this is where polyps come from. This alteration in development is slightly similar to what happens during cancer and tumor formation. Luckily, compared to these malignant tissues, most polyps are benign (noncancerous). However, there are still chances that it could get malignant through time.

Causes Of The Excessive Cell Production

Most of the time, stimulants trigger the excessive division and growth of these cells. Some of the most common triggers include inflammation, a foreign object, tumor, mutation, or hormones. And when it comes to polyps, there are no specific stimulants. But their presence and severity greatly contribute to polyp formation and growth.

Types Of Polyps And Their Symptoms

Polyps are often differentiated based on their locations. Some of the most common polyps you will find are the following:

Digestive or Colon polyps

Developing in the digestive tract, colon, or colorectal polyps tops when it comes to the number of cases. With a 25% prevalence rate in turning into cancer, these colon polyps protruding in the intestinal tract could create more complications. Rectal bleeding, pain, changes in stool color, bowel habits, and iron deficiency anemia accompanies the presence of colon polyps. Also, numerous risk factors could hasten and initiate colon polyp formation. These predisposing elements include age, family history, and existing conditions.

Endometrial or Uterine Polyps

As the uterus normally contains a cavity, it is no exception to polyp formation. Uterine polyps could even grow into a golf ball size. Although it is not clear what caused uterine polyps, this problem is often associated with premenopausal women. And like the colon polyps, the uterine type is also a pretty common case, occurring at 24% of the general population. Menstrual polyps may present as irregular menstrual bleeding, vaginal bleeding, infertility, and bleeding in between periods.

Nasal Polyps

What you think as a regular runny nose or snoring could indicate growing polyps in the airway. Although smaller nasal polyps are not much of a problem, they could grow bigger. And in time, it would be large enough to disrupt normal breathing and air circulation. In this case, polyps removal surgery is not only ideal but necessary. Triggers like asthma, persistent allergies, and recurrent infections could trigger cell growth in the nasal cavity. Other signs of nasal polyps include postnasal drip, facial pain, and decreased or absent smell (anosmia).

Laryngeal Polyps

When you think singing with all you might may do you good, think again. This forceful use of the vocal cords could put pressure and strain on the tissues. One of the body’s protective responses is to stimulate and increase cellular production. This reaction will now form new tissues. And before you know it, a laryngeal polyp could be budding from your vocal cord. Although laryngeal polyp is not a common occurrence, it still warrants polyps removal surgery. Symptoms include the change in voice into a more hoarse vocal or breathy sound.

When Is Polyps Removal Surgery Needed?

Even when these tissue growths are often not cancerous, they are nevertheless abnormal patterns. After all, you cannot risk letting it progress into cancer. For some polyps types, like the ones in the vocal cords or nose, polyp removal could be necessary to support normal function. Hence, when you feel like there could be a polyp growing inside your body, it is best to seek medical attention immediately.

• Initial Examination

Depending on the site, the doctors will use exploratory devices like an endoscope to closely examine the polyp. This step ensures that they fully note the growth characteristics before a polyp removal procedure. Since the insertion of the device could be uncomfortable, they could give you local anesthesia. Your doctor may also take a sample or biopsy of the polyp before completely cutting it out.

• Polypectomy/ Polyp Removal Surgery

The first look at the polyp will decide the type of surgery you may need. Based on the location, size, and complexity, the surgeon may decide to take it right away using the exploratory devices. However, some types, like the colon polyps, are too big for this technique. Hence, you may need to undergo a major surgery that uses general anesthesia. The surgeons will administer the medication either intravenously or inhaled. General anesthesia will numb the tissues in the area and may even put you into a sleep-like state. Besides, complicated polyp removal techniques could take a while. Hence, you will need stronger means to bear the pain.

Looking At The Success Rate

With the advancement in machines and medical devices, surgeries have become more reliable and generally safer. The advent of laparoscopic or colonoscopic polypectomy techniques has significantly reduced the bleeding associated with regular polyp removal surgeries. Hence, the appearance of polyps nowadays should not torment you. With reliable instruments and skillful surgeons, polyp removal is even possible in your initial checkup.

The Outlook

For some, a polyp removal may not seem necessary and would indicate additional hospital expenses. However, this measure is necessary to prevent future problems. After all, single cancer treatment may even cost more than thrice of a polypectomy procedure. And even when these polyps do not hinder your normal activities, it could impact your health in the long run. Besides, with the high success rate of polyp removal surgeries, you could never go wrong. It is time to present a renewed perspective on surgery. After all, regardless of the type of surgery, these practices are nevertheless beneficial to each patient.