Endoscopic Mucosal Resection Helps Patient Avoid Colorectal Surgery

"I was told I needed colon surgery, but little did I know that wasn't my only option," says William Gearhart, 67-year-old patient from Plainfield, New Jersey.

Gearhart, owner of Classic Travel and Tours, underwent his scheduled colonoscopy when his local doctor came back with surprising news. "He said he took out a polyp, but in the process found another that was about three centimeters. It was next to my appendix and since the colon wall near it is very thin he didn't want to take any chances removing it."

He recommended Gearhart undergo a surgical operation where they would need to cut out 10 inches of his colon. "We're talking three days of hospitalization and a six week recovery period. You could imagine I wasn't excited about this."

Worried, Gearhart sought advice from his friend and client Dr. Richard Skolnik. He said, "Don't do anything. I need to introduce you to someone very special."

Gearhart then met with to Dr. Jerome Waye, Associate Medical Director of Endoscopy at The Mount Sinai Hospital and an internationally renowned endoscopist and expert in the removal of large polyps, for a second opinion. At their appointment Dr. Waye explained surgery may not be necessary for this type of polyp.

"Many gastroenterologists recommend surgery to patients with large polyps due to time constraints or because they feel it's safer for a patient to get the lesion surgically removed in case cancer is present," says Dr. Waye.

Dr. Waye used a colonoscopic technique called endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) which is used to remove larger lesions in the gastrointestinal tract. This technique lifts the lesion from the colon by injecting fluid into the wall underneath the growth. Then, the growth is carefully shaved off without damaging deeper layers of the colon wall.

Although EMR helps patients avoid major colon surgery, it is not widely practiced since it's a relatively new technique and insurance companies are not aware that this can prevent and replace surgery. "Once a patient is told they need surgery, they take the doctor's advice without knowing there is an alternative that can safely, easily and effectively remove these polyps during a standard colonoscopy. We want to prevent or minimize the need for a patient to undergo a surgical resection," says Dr. Waye.

"Not only did he remove the growth by my appendix, but also found and removed another in the process," said Gearhart. "Dr. Waye specializes in the impossible. He saves people from surgical operations." Gearhart urges others to always seek the right specialist for your problem as the outcome will always be better. "Dr. Waye walks on water as far as I'm concerned."

Mount Sinai has a multidisciplinary team who can evaluate patients and decide on the best approach of removing colon growths that are found during colonoscopies. If surgery is needed, Dr. Waye notes a laparoscopic approach is recommended and available at The Mount Sinai Hospital.