Genuine polyps (adenomas) of the colon and rectum are precursors of cancer. They have to be removed. This is normally done by colonoscopy. The polyp is injected and removed with an electric snare. In some cases, the base of the polyp is very wide or lies in bends of the bowel that are hard to get to. This can make the complete removal of the polyp via colonoscopy dangerous (perforation) or impossible. In these cases surgical resection is necessary. In order to find the polyp during the operation, the gastroenterologist marks the site with ink during colonoscopy. Mostly the operation is done laparoscopically. A wedge or a small segment of bowel is removed. Sometimes the gastroenterologist performs colonoscopy during the operation to point out the exact site of the polyp. We call this a “rendezvous-procedure”. see figure
