My pathology reports sated i have a .4 cm rectal polyp, tubular adenoma, with no high-grade dysplasia or malignancy. when should a follow up be done?

How was your prep?: "guidelines" are one thing but other considerations come into play when planning your next colonoscopy: 1) what was the method of polyp removal (could the technique used have left polyp material behind?); 2) what was the quality of your prep (if poor, your doc will want you back sooner to complete the exam so other polyps aren't missed); 3) risk of a polyposis syndrome brings you back sooner too.

Divide by 2: Ask your GI doctor, divide that time by 2, and politely ask to follow up. Unfortunately, a significant percentage of polyps can be missed on routine colonoscopies for a variety of reasons unrelated to the doctors' skill.