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I don't know the answer to that, sorry. Just from what I've gathered, polyp location has a lot to do with symptoms. Most polyps are, if I recall my reading, located in the part of the colon on the left side of the body and down to the cecum. My polyp was all the way over on the furthest right side, away from that and perilously close to the entrance from the small intestine. The surgeon said when they find bad polyps there, it is extra difficult since that side has so many blood vessels and lymph nodes that they usually play it safe and remove that whole side of the colon! (Which Johns Hopkins and my state medical center were probably prepared to do, based on their reactions to my colonoscopy report I sent them.)

I also recall reading that more "right sided polyps" of precancerous types tend to be found among women of a certain age, of fairer complexion and larger build (which I may or may not align with, hear, hear...) and I thought "huh...isn't that nice to know..." My mother didn't exactly fit that description either, but her first symptom she ever told me about was liver involvement. I think she was not pro-active about her physical health, the way you and I have been.

Sorry if it is all TMI at the moment. Don't get worried, just keep being the advocate for yourself as you know you must be, and be happy that there are no restrictions on hospital check ups like as there was several years ago!

I just read the same thing about polyps on the right side. Mine was the left side and down low.

It sounds like you got great care for a very complicated removal.

I really had no idea there could be so much involved with removing polyps.

I am very grateful for health insurance an access to decent medical care.

The pathology just means it is a polyp that can become a cancer. Period.
So yes you should get another scope in 3-5 years. The thought is these things generally grow so slowly that even if you had one start growing today that bybthe time 5 yrs rolls around it would still be resectable with a scope.

Good luck with the colonoscopy and the prep. I have had about 16 or 17 colonoscopies over the past two decades due to an autoimmune condition and my doctor has usually required a MiraLax prep which is lot gentle than the saline solution or "colon blow" fiber laxatives.
The polyp that was discovered during n my last scoping was cancerous and although the process was miserable, I am.very glad my gastroenterologist found the pulyp/ulcer in time. Here's hoping you'll have good results.

Vocalion, sorry to read that their removal of your ulcerated polyp was so miserable....did they have you only sedated? Maybe they weren't expecting to have to do any serious cutting and then they came across something worse while you were only prepped for routine colonoscopy?

At least at our local hospital, we get the nice nap. I recall the anesthesiologist saying "I'll see you in a little while; count: 5, 4, 3..." zzzzzz. 🙂

My worst polyp was weeping a bit of blood when the local surgeon saw it; he knew not to try and remove that, but he "tattoo'd" the biopsy site like they are told to do. A couple months later at Cleveland Clinic, where I had Endoscopic Sub-Mucosal Dissection (ESD), there was a spot that proved difficult to "lift" and had the surgeon worried it had grown into the colon wall already (Stage I CC). He biopsied my colon wall after removing the growth. I'd already studied up on the procedure I was to have, and learned that when ink is used to ID a lesion like a polyp, a bit of scarring can sometimes occur, making it difficult to differentiate what they are removing from a possibly advanced dysplasia. So I asked the world-reknowned surgeon if possibly that was why it was hard to "lift"? (Looking for any ray of hope...)

He looked at me funny and said "You really did your homework, didn't you?" Oh, Yeah, PubMed is my friend!!

How's Zebra doing today?

Sup a dear friend to shortcut things and had a pos cologaurd, then a scope, and lastly laproscopic resection. Bit that was the cure.
So for all you readers that dread doing this, try to delay it, use excuses like I don't have any symptoms, or are afraid of the outcome just do it.
There is a reason your Dr wants you to do it. Colonoscopies save lives. The prep sucks but honestly the stomach "flu" is much worse.
Lastly if you are afraid of the outcome please know this. Even if you have something that cannot be removed by scope there are laprascopic surgeries now and even if it is the BIG C most colon cancers when caught early are highly curable and the chemo isn't terrible.

So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get your scope.

Vocalion, thank you for the well wishes. The prep was not bad at all after getting through one little rough spot. As Tush said it is not nearly as bad as a stomach bug. I hope your issues are not too bad. That's a lot of colonoscopies!!!

Thank you Sup!! I'm doing much better today.

For anybody reading this that has to do the prep or is afraid to, it's not that bad. I highly recommend doing a low residue diet for about five days prior to your prep and cut down on your food intake the day before. It made things so much easier!!