Colon EMR is a way to remove abnormal growths or tissue from the colon without major surgery.

Samples taken during colon EMR can diagnose and treat early-stage cancers and pre-cancerous colon conditions.

Doctors use an endoscope for the procedure. It's a thin, flexible instrument with a light and camera lens at the end. For a colon EMR, the doctor passes the endoscope through the anus into the colon, similar to a colonoscopy. The endoscope contains special tools that can remove polyps and other abnormal tissue.

Sometimes doctors use suction to remove the abnormal tissue. Sometimes they inject a solution to separate it from healthy tissue. Doctors later check the abnormal tissue for disease under a microscope.

An EMR is less invasive than colon resection surgery. Colon resection surgery, or colectomy, removes some or all of the colon during surgery. You might need it if you have advanced colon cancer or inflammatory bowel disease.

You might need a colon EMR if a colonoscopy shows abnormal growths in your digestive tract. Doctors can remove some polyps during a colonoscopy, but an EMR is better for more complex growths. Very large tumors may need surgery or other treatments like chemotherapy and radiation.

Your doctor may use EMR if:

• You have early-stage colon cancer
• You have a pre-cancerous growth in the lining of the rectum or colon
• Your polyps are larger than 2 cm but less than 4 cm

EMR may not be an option if your polyp or tumor:

• Is larger than 4 cm
• Doesn't lift with injection
• Is in a difficult-to-access area
• Shows signs of deep invasion or cancer

A colon EMR is an outpatient procedure. That means you'll go home the same day. You'll need someone to drive you home as you'll have anesthesia and feel groggy.

Before

Your care team will let you know what to do before your EMR.

For a colon EMR, the prep is similar to a colonoscopy. Your care team will give you instructions and a bowel prep kit. It will be a liquid, pill, or powder to take the night before your procedure.

The prep solution will clear out your digestive system, so you'll need to stay near a bathroom. It's vital to finish it. Any stool in your colon could block your doctor from seeing polyps and other problems.

The care team will give you an IV when you arrive for the procedure. 

During

You'll receive either general anesthesia (you'll be asleep) or sedation (you'll be comfortable and relaxed during the procedure and may not remember it afterward).

Once they've sedated you, your doctor will insert the endoscope through your anus. They'll put tiny surgical tools into the endoscope. The camera will show video images on a screen.

Once they locate the irregular tissue, your doctor will remove the tumor or polyp by:

• Injecting it with a solution and lifting it away from healthy tissue
• Suctioning it out
• Cutting it out with an electric wire

The whole procedure will take about an hour.

After

After your colon EMR is over, you'll stay in a recovery room until the sedation wears off. Once your doctor makes sure you've recovered, you can go home. You will need someone to drive you, as it takes about 24 hours for the anesthesia to wear off.

You may have mild side effects for 24 hours after your EMR. These include:

• Cramping
• Drowsiness
• Bloating
• Excessive gas
• Nausea and vomiting

A colon EMR is a standard procedure, and the risks are minimal. There are more risks for older people who have an EMR. They include:

• Bleeding
• Perforation (puncture) of the colon
• Infection