Background

Concerns about the risk of bowel perforation for same-day computed tomography colonography (CTC) following an incomplete colonoscopy with polypectomy may lead to unnecessarily postponing the CTC.

Objective

The objective of this article is to describe the complications including colon perforations associated with same-day CTC in a cohort who had polypectomies but an incomplete colonoscopy.

Design

We conducted a retrospective study.

Setting

Our study took place in a single, tertiary referral center.

Patients

We studied consecutive patients who had CTC the same day as an incomplete colonoscopy with polypectomy.

Interventions

Interventions included optical colonoscopy (OC), endoscopic polypectomies, and same-day CTC.

Main outcome measurements: Our main outcome measurements included perforation rate with long-term follow-up.

Results

A total of 3% of patients undergoing colonoscopy from January 2008 to December 2012 had same-day CTC following incomplete OC, and 72 polypectomies were performed in 34 (or 17%) of these patients. Incomplete colonoscopies were due to colon tortuosity and looping (25), severe angulations (five), colon mass (two), colon stenosis (one), bradycardia (one). Fifty-three percent of the OCs were screening for colon neoplasia, 29% diagnostic and 18% were surveillance of colon polyps. Most polyps were ≤ 5 mm, and found in the left colon. There were no reported complications or perforations associated with same-day CTCs during short- and long-term follow-up.

Limitations

Limitations of our analysis included retrospective single-center design, small number of patients for the occurrence, referral to same-day CTC was not standardized, inability to establish safety of CTC for specific scenarios such as after complex polypectomies, strictures, or advanced IBD.

Conclusions

Radiologists’ apprehension to perform a CTC the same day as an incomplete colonoscopy following polypectomies because of perceived risk of perforation may be unfounded. More data are needed to determine the safety of same-day CTC in patients with high-risk findings during colonoscopy such as a stricture, severe IBD, and after complex polypectomies.