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Lisa,
That is a great question and there are a lot of factors that go into when a person should have a repeat colonoscopy. We follow the guidelines set by the Medical Advisory Committee through our cancer programs in the State of Maryland. Usually, the endoscopist takes into consideration the type of polyp, size of polyp, number of polyps and the location of the polyp within the colon. Not knowing all of the details of your findings, a 3 year recall after the diagnosis of a serrated adenoma sounds perfectly reasonable. With a history of these types of polyps, your doctor will likely never let you go more than 5 years before repeating the colonoscopy. Make sure he/she is aware of the family history, as this needs to be taken into consideration. If a 5 year recall makes you nervous, talk with your Dr. about it. Also, if you should have any change in your bowel habits, unexpected weight loss, or blood in your stool, your doctor should be aware of these symptoms. Lastly, since you have had the precancerous polyps removed, it is important for your children and your siblings/parents to know this, as this will likely change the age that they begin getting screened, and how often they are screened. For instance, if your polyps were found at age 50, there is a very good chance that your children should start getting screened at age 40. Have them talk with their healthcare provider for recommendations. Great question, and let me know if you need clarification of any of the above information.