Efficacy and Safety of Cold Snare Polypectomy versus Cold Endoscopic Mucosal Resection for Resecting 3–10 mm Colorectal Polyps: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The safety and efficacy of cold snare polypectomy (CSP) compared to those of cold endoscopic mucosal resection (CEMR) have been reported. This meta-analysis compared the efficacy and safety of CEMR and CSP. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched to identify randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy and safety of CEMR and CSP in removing 3–10 mm polyps. The outcomes assessed included complete resection rate, intraoperative bleeding rate, delayed bleeding rate, perforation, and polyp removal time. The results are reported as risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) derived from a Mantel-Haenszel random-effects model. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Seven studies comprising 1,911 polyps were included in the analysis. The complete resection rate of CEMR was comparable to that of CSP (RR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.99–1.04, <i>p</i> = 0.32). Comparable results were also demonstrated for intraoperative bleeding rate (polyp-based analysis: RR: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.33–4.43, <i>p</i> = 0.77), delayed bleeding rate (polyp-based analysis: RR: 1.34, 95% CI: 0.44–4.15, <i>p</i> = 0.61), and polyp removal time (mean difference: 28.31 s, 95% CI: −21.40–78.02, <i>p</i> = 0.26). No studies reported cases of perforation. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> CEMR has comparable efficacy and safety to CSP in removing 3–10 mm polyps. Further randomized controlled trials with long-term follow-up are warranted to compare and validate efficacy.