Complications Following Colonoscopy in a Nationwide Standard Cohort: A Retrospective Case-control Study

Background : /Aims: Despite the many reports of colonoscopy complications worldwide, few studies have been performed at the population level in Korea. In this study, a population-based study was performed to evaluate the incidence of post-colonoscopy perforations compared to a control group. Methods : : Between January 2011 and December 2011, data for all cases (age over 45) who underwent a colonoscopy were collected from National Health Insurance Service using a random sampling method. The clinical characteristics and perforation incidence (within 30 days after the colonoscopy) of cases were identified, and cases were then compared with controls who had not undergone a colonoscopy. Results : : Among 1,380,000 subjects, 31,177 cases and 62,354 controls were identified. Perforation occurred in 14 patients (0.04%) in the case group and one patient (