Incidence and Management of Iatrogenic Colonoscopic Perforations

nosis, treatment and follow-up of colorectal pathologies. However, this invasive procedure is performed with some risk of hemorrhage, perforation and even death. 2 The incidence of perforation is reported to range between 0.2% to 0.8% for diagnostic colonoscopy and from 0.15% to 3% for therapeutic colonoscopy. With increasing numbers of colonoscopies being performed for screening purposes, this small possibility of perforations can lead to a large number of clinical problems. Colonoscopic perforations may be managed medically or surgically, depending on the nature of the perforation. Knowing risk factors, recognizing early signs of perforations, and giving early and optimal treatment may reduce the probability of complications and death. In this study, we report our experience with 17 consecutive colonoscopic perforations over an 11-year period. J Soc Colon Rectal Surgeon (Taiwan) June 2010