Abstract: Objective To compare the efficacy between the cold snare polypectomy (CSP) and hot snare polypectomy (HSP) for 4-9 mm colorectal polyps. Methods A total of 187 patients who underwent polypectomy in  the Department of Gastroenterology of Beijing Chao-yang Hospital from June 2021 to November 2021 were selected as research subjects, included 284 polyps, among which 145 were treated with CSP and 139 were treated with HSP. The primary study endpoint was the complete resection rate, and the secondary study endpoints included polyp retrieval rate, polypectomy time, the cost of polypectomy and length of hospital stays. The complications included immediate bleeding, delayed bleeding and perforation. Results  The complete resection rate in CSP group and HSP group were 90.34% and 92.09%(P=0.336), respectively. The immediate bleeding occurred in 7 cases in the CSP group and 5 cases in the HSP group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.606). There was 1 case of late bleeding in the CSP group and none in the HSP group. Perforation did not occur in either group. All specimens obtained after polypectomy were successfully recovered. The procedure time of the CSP group was shorter than that of the HSP group (70.6 s vs 75.2 s, P<0.001). The average cost in the CSP group was lower than that in the HSP group (￥1 371.00 vs ￥2 434.90, P<0.001). The average length of hospital stays in the CSP group was shorter than that in the HSP group (2.9 d vs 3.6 d, P<0.001). Conclusions Both CSP and HSP are safe and effective treatment methods for the 4-9 mm colorectal polyps. However, CSP is more time-saving with less cost and shorter hospital stays.

Key words: Colorectal Cancer, Cold snare polypectomy, Hot snare polypectomy, Colorectal polyps