Objective: To evaluate current practice of Dutch gynecologists in polyp removal.
Study design: All practicing gynecologists in The Netherlands in 2003 were surveyed by a mailed self-administered questionnaire about polypectomy. Gynecologists were asked about their individual performance of polypectomy: setting, form of anesthesia, method and instrument used.
Results: The response rate was 74% (553 of 752 gynecologists). Among the respondents, 455 (83%) stated that they removed polyps themselves. Polyps were most commonly removed in an inpatient setting (71%), under general or regional anesthesia (77%), and under direct hysteroscopic visualization (69%). Gynecologists working in a teaching hospital removed polyps more often in an outpatient setting compared to gynecologists working in a non-teaching hospital (93 (39%) versus 36 (19%) p<0.001).
Conclusion: In the Netherlands, outpatient polyp removal is not practiced on a large scale. However, teaching hospitals are more often performing polypectomy in an outpatient setting. Therefore, we expect that there must be a tendency towards outpatient hysteroscopic removal of polyps for the future. Further research is required to assess the efficacy polyp removal.