Abstract:Objective To explore the impact of withdrawal time (WT) on adenoma detection rate (ADR) in colonoscopies with adequate bowel preparation. Methods Patients aged 18‑85 years who underwent colonoscopy for screening, surveillance, or diagnosis were prospectively included. All patients received split‑dose bowel preparation with 3 L of polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution. The primary outcome was ADR; and the secondary outcomes were Boston bowel prepration scale (BBPS) score, WT, cecal intubation time, and polyp detection rate. Results A total of 1 495 patients with adequate bowel preparation from May 2022 to May 2023 were included (mean age 51.8±11.9 years). Increased BBPS scores (6 to 9 points) correlated with progressively lower ADR [6 points 46.1%(41/89), 7 points 42.1%(88/209), 8 points 39.3%(166/422), 9 points 34.3%(266/775), χ2=8.621, P=0.035] and shorter withdrawal times (6 points 7.1 min, 7 points 7.0 min, 8 points 6.7 min, 9 points 6.6 min, H=27.580, P<0.001). There were significant differences in ADR [43.3%(129/298) VS 36.1%(432/1197), χ2=5.274, P=0.022] and WT (7.0 min VS 6.6 min, t=4.851, P<0.001) between good (BBPS 6‑7 points) versus excellent preparation groups (BBPS 8‑ 9 points). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age, WT, and cecal intubation time were independent influencing factors for ADR, while BBPS score was not statistically significant (P=0.585). Conclusion Among patients with adequate bowel preparation, withdrawal time demonstrates greater influence than bowel preparation quality on adenoma detection. Regardless of the BBPS score, maintaining sufficient withdrawal duration remains crucial for optimal colonoscopy quality.