It usually takes about 4 to 6 weeks for your cervix to heal after this procedure.
You should be able to continue with your daily activities after your appointment, including driving. For a few days after your colposcopy, you may have a brownish vaginal discharge, or light bleeding if you had a biopsy. This is normal and will usually stop after 3 to 5 days.
It takes four to six weeks for your cervix to heal. To reduce the risk of infection during this time, you should avoid sexual contact or wearing tampons. It is advisable to wear sanitary towels during this time. Have a shower rather than take a bath for six weeks following a treatment at colposcopy.
You may be told not to douche, use tampons, or have sex for 1 week after a biopsy, or for a period advised by your healthcare provider. After a cone biopsy, you should not put anything into your vagina until your cervix has healed. This may take several weeks.
Yes. During the four- to six-week recovery time, new healthy tissue grows on your cervix to replace the removed abnormal tissue.
Most of the time, the cervix heals completely and a faint area of scarring, which is visible at colposcopy, is left around the os.
Contact a GP or call 111 if:
After a colposcopy you have: heavy bleeding from your vagina which is more than you would expect during a heavy period. unpleasant smelly discharge from your vagina. stomach pain that does not get any better after taking painkillers or keeps coming back.
If you had a biopsy, do not to douche, use tampons, or have sex for one week after the procedure, or for as long as your healthcare provider advises. You may also have other limits on your activity, including no strenuous activity or heavy lifting.
For a colposcopic biopsy, patients are urged to: Refrain from using any medications, creams or powders in or around the vagina for 24 to 48 hours. Avoid vaginal intercourse or tampons for 24-48 hours before and after the procedure.
It is normal for a patient to have acidic/sour odor for a few days after the procedure. They may have the discharge for up to 2 weeks. But, if the discharge has a smelly or fishy odor, you probably have an infection and need to see the doctor to be treated for the same.
A cervix injury is not a permanent injury. The time taken for healing varies from person to person. The injury heals on its own. It takes anywhere between one day to one week.
A colposcopy is relatively painless. You may feel slight pressure when the speculum enters your vagina. You may feel a slight burning or stinging when the solution comes into contact with your cervix. If you need a biopsy, you may feel a sharp pinch or a sensation like a period cramp when the tissue sample is excised.
Your biopsy may not find any abnormal cells. This is known as a normal result. Depending on your age, you'll be invited for a cervical screening appointment in 3 or 5 years if you get a normal result. Or your biopsy may find abnormal cervical cells.
He explained that the standard way of performing cervical biopsies may not give very many cells. The procedure can be painful because the instrument is sharp, which may make the physician not scrape as hard.
There is some evidence that there may be long-term implications for women treated under colposcopy with respect to adverse obstetric outcomes, persisting anxiety, increased rates of sexual dysfunction and reduced quality of life.
An individual must be referred to colposcopy and should be seen within 2 weeks of referral (≥93% of cases) if the appearance of the cervix is suspicious or they have symptoms consistent with cervical cancer.
After your colposcopy appointment
You can leave the hospital as soon as you feel ready. You can go to work or do any other activities as usual, although you may prefer to rest.
Once abnormal cells are identified, your doctor performs a biopsy, taking a small amount of tissue for testing. You'll feel a pinch, nothing more. Then, your cells are off to the lab for analysis. You might experience some mild cramping after colposcopy, but that's it.
While a colposcopy can suggest that you have cancer or precancerous tissue, only a biopsy can actually make a diagnosis. If an abnormal area is small, your doctor may be able to remove all of it during the biopsy. The type of biopsy you'll have will depend on the location of the tissue being biopsied.
A cervical biopsy is normally performed during a colposcopy. A colposcopy is a procedure that allows the doctor a more in-depth examination of the cervix. After the doctor has identified any abnormal areas of the cervix, small amounts of tissue are taken with biopsy forceps or needle.
A colposcopy is a minimally invasive procedure that helps a doctor examine the cervix to see if any abnormal cells are present.
The cervix should heal completely within four to six weeks, but some women make a full recovery as early as three weeks. A vaginal discharge and / or bleeding are usual for some weeks following treatment and are part of the healing process. This should stop or return to 'normal' as soon as the cervix is healed.