Gastric (stomach) polyp removal

What is gastric (stomach) polyp removal?

Gastric polyps are small growths on the inside lining of the stomach. They are often found by chance during a gastroscopy (a camera test of the stomach). Most are harmless, but some types, or larger ones, carry a small risk of containing abnormal or cancerous cells, so they may be removed and sent to the laboratory.

The most common types are fundic gland polyps (very often harmless, and linked with long-term use of acid-reducing tablets), hyperplastic polyps (usually harmless but sometimes linked with stomach inflammation), and adenomas (less common, but the type most likely to become cancerous). The kind of polyp, its size and number guide whether it is removed, biopsied or simply watched.

Removal is done with the camera, using a wire loop (snare) for many polyps, or specialist techniques (EMR or ESD) for larger ones. Taking the polyp out both treats it and allows it to be examined properly. It does not change whatever caused the polyp to form, so new polyps can appear later.

Types, options & approaches

There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.

Options at a glance

These are the main approaches described in this guide. The right option depends on the diagnosis, your goals and what your clinician thinks is safe.

Preparing for your procedure

• You will usually be asked not to eat for about 6 hours and not to drink for about 2–4 hours beforehand.
• Tell the team about blood-thinning or antiplatelet medicines (such as warfarin, apixaban, clopidogrel), as these often need stopping or planning around because of bleeding risk.
• Mention acid-reducing tablets (proton pump inhibitors) you take, as long-term use is linked with some polyps.
• Tell the team about diabetes and your medicines, as fasting affects them.
• Say if you could be pregnant, or have heart, lung or sleep-apnoea problems relevant to sedation or anaesthetic.
• Arrange a responsible adult to take you home and stay with you if you have sedation or a general anaesthetic.
• Ask whether a large-polyp technique (EMR or ESD) is planned, as this affects the anaesthetic, stay and recovery.

What happens

For most polyps the removal happens during a gastroscopy. You are offered throat spray or sedation, lie on your left side, and a thin camera is passed through your mouth into the stomach. The doctor finds the polyp and removes it with a snare or biopsy forceps, retrieving it to send to the laboratory.

Larger or flatter polyps may need EMR or ESD. Because these take longer and need you to stay very still, they are often done under a general anaesthetic in a theatre, and you may stay in overnight so you can be watched for bleeding.

After removal, the team checks the site, treats any bleeding, and may place small clips. You rest in recovery until any sedation or anaesthetic wears off, and most people who had a small polyp removed go home the same day.

Is this procedure right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

Comfort, sedation or contrast choices

If local anaesthetic, sedation, contrast or pain relief is used, ask what is planned, why, and what it means afterwards.

The main risks are bleeding and, less often, a tear (perforation) of the stomach wall, and these are higher with larger polyps and with EMR or ESD than with removing a small polyp. Bleeding can sometimes be delayed by up to about two weeks. Ask how large your polyp is, which technique is planned, and exactly what to do if you bleed, vomit blood or get severe tummy pain afterwards.

Published figures to discuss

Risk depends heavily on polyp size, type and the technique used: removing a small polyp is low risk, while EMR and especially ESD of large polyps carry higher rates of bleeding and perforation. The figures below come from endoscopy sources and should be treated as cautious ranges, not promises, as they vary with the lesion and the operator.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

What happens afterwards

Recovery after removing a small polyp is usually quick. After EMR or ESD of a large polyp it is longer, and you need to watch carefully for bleeding over the next couple of weeks.

• A mild sore throat for a day or so
• Bloating or wind from air used during the test
• Mild central tummy discomfort that eases
• Tiredness after sedation or anaesthetic
• A short wait for laboratory results before you know the full picture

Aftercare

• Eat and drink as advised; you may be asked to keep to softer foods for a few days after a large-polyp removal.
• If you had sedation or anaesthetic, rest for the day and do not drive for 24 hours.
• Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activity for the time you are advised, after a larger removal.
• Restart blood-thinning medicines only when your team tells you it is safe.
• Take acid-reducing medicine if prescribed to help the removal site heal.
• Chase up your histology results if you have not heard within the time given.
• Keep the unit's number and know who to call out of hours.

• Responsible adult to collect you and stay over if you have sedation or anaesthetic
• No driving or work planned for 24 hours afterwards
• Softer foods at home for the first few days after a large-polyp removal
• A clear plan for when to restart any blood-thinning medicines
• Acid-reducing medicine collected if prescribed
• A note of when histology results are due and who will give them
• Unit and out-of-hours contact numbers saved

Scars and how they heal

There is no external scar. Inside the stomach, the place where the polyp was removed heals over, sometimes with small clips left in that pass or fall off on their own. After removing a large polyp, the healing site is a little raw for a time, which is why delayed bleeding is possible and why softer foods are sometimes advised.

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• Vomiting blood, or material that looks like coffee grounds
• Black, tarry or sticky stools
• Severe or worsening tummy, chest or shoulder-tip pain
• A hard, swollen or very tender tummy
• A high temperature, chills or feeling very unwell
• Dizziness, fainting or a racing heartbeat
• Being unable to keep fluids down

Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

Removing the polyp lets the laboratory tell you what type it was and whether it contained any abnormal or pre-cancerous cells. A good result means the polyp was benign and has been fully removed. Sometimes the laboratory finds the polyp was only partly removed, or that it had higher-risk features, which may mean a repeat procedure or closer follow-up.

Removing a polyp does not guarantee no further polyps will form, because the underlying tendency, such as inflammation or long-term acid medicines, remains. Your clinician will explain what your particular result means.

Once a polyp is fully removed and confirmed benign, that polyp is dealt with. However, new polyps can appear over time, especially if you keep taking acid-reducing tablets long term or have ongoing stomach inflammation or a polyp condition. Whether you need a repeat gastroscopy depends on the polyp type and the national post-polypectomy guidance your team follows.

Related tests, treatments or support

Polyp removal is usually done during a gastroscopy, so the camera examination, biopsies of the surrounding lining and the removal can happen at the same visit. Treatment of any underlying cause, such as Helicobacter pylori infection or reviewing long-term acid medicines, may be done alongside.

Follow-up & long-term care

Your clinician will arrange to give you the laboratory results, usually within about two weeks, and explain whether you need a follow-up gastroscopy. Incompletely removed polyps or those with higher-risk features may be re-checked sooner, while a single follow-up after a year is often advised after removing a polyp with abnormal cells, in line with national guidance.

• Follow-up gastroscopy if advised by national post-polypectomy guidance
• Review of long-term acid-reducing medicines where relevant
• Treatment of stomach inflammation or Helicobacter pylori if found
• Reporting any new symptoms such as bleeding, pain or difficulty swallowing

Repeat, follow-on and what comes next

• Large polyps removed in pieces (piecemeal) have a higher chance of needing a repeat procedure to clear residual tissue.
• If histology shows higher-risk features or invasive cancer, further surgery or treatment may be advised.
• New polyps can form over time, so a future gastroscopy is sometimes needed.
• Surveillance intervals follow national post-polypectomy guidance rather than being one-size-fits-all.

Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.

What good aftercare looks like

• Clear, written warning signs for bleeding and perforation, with a number to call any time.
• A reliable system for giving and explaining histology results within the promised time.
• A clear plan for restarting blood-thinning medicines.
• Sensible diet and activity advice after a large-polyp removal.
• A defined follow-up or surveillance plan based on national guidance.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• Whether a diagnostic gastroscopy is included in the same visit
• The size and number of polyps and the technique needed (snare versus EMR or ESD)
• Throat spray or sedation versus a general anaesthetic and theatre time
• Whether an overnight stay is needed for monitoring after a large removal
• Histology (laboratory) reporting of the removed tissue
• Follow-up appointments and any repeat gastroscopy
• Management of any complication, which may add significant cost

• The endoscopist's or surgeon's fee and the facility or theatre fee
• Sedation or anaesthetic charges and monitoring
• Histology (laboratory) charges for the removed polyp
• Any planned overnight stay after a large-polyp removal
• Follow-up consultation to discuss results
• Cancellation policy
• What happens, and what it costs, if a complication occurs or you need readmission

On the NHS? Removal of stomach polyps that need treating is available on the NHS; private treatment is mainly used for a faster appointment or a particular specialist.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a specialist safely

• Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
• You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.

• What type of polyp do I have, and what is its risk of containing abnormal cells?
• Which removal technique will you use, and will I need sedation or a general anaesthetic?
• What are my chances of bleeding or a tear, and what should I watch for afterwards?
• Will I need to stop and restart any blood-thinning medicines, and when?
• When will I get my results, and who will explain them?
• Will I need a follow-up gastroscopy, and should my acid medicines be reviewed?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the specialist who carries out my procedure, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this procedure not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified specialist for gastric (stomach) polyp removal

Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.

How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: NHS (Royal Devon) — After gastroscopy with sedation and polypectomy NHS (Gateshead Health) — Endoscopic removal of large gastric polyps BSG / ACPGBI / PHE — Post-polypectomy surveillance guidance Gastric polyp — StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf) NHS — Stomach cancer (symptoms to be aware of)

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.