A colposcopy is a quick and safe procedure. It usually takes 5 to 10 minutes, but you should allow about an half an hour for the whole visit. Most women find the procedure uncomfortable and some experience pain. Tell the colposcopist if you feel pain and they will try to make it more comfortable for you.
Deciding how long to wait before scheduling the colposcopy is an issue best addressed by your treating gynecologist. Colposcopy is not a follow-up test that typically needs to be done the moment an abnormal pap is identified, but it is important not to let this go either.
If your provider sees abnormal tissue during a colposcopy, he or she may take a small sample of tissue for further study. The healthcare provider may also take tissue samples from inside the cervix.
A colposcopy is often done if cervical screening finds changes to your cells that are caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). These changed cells can turn into cervical cancer cells.
Your doctor can use a colposcopy to diagnose cervical cancer, genital warts, vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer, as well. Once your doctor gets the results from your colposcopy, they'll know whether or not you need further tests.
A colposcopy is a safe and quick procedure. However, some women find it uncomfortable and a few experience pain. Tell the doctor or nurse (colposcopist) if you find the procedure painful, as they will try to make you more comfortable. A colposcopy is a safe procedure to have during pregnancy.
You'll go back to having regular pelvic exams, Pap tests, and/or HPV tests. Your doctor or nurse will tell you how often you need to have these. Or you might also need further treatment. There are 4 procedures that are very good at removing the abnormal cells and preventing cervical cancer.
After a colposcopy you may have some mild pain, similar to period pain, for a few days. Taking a painkiller such as paracetamol can help. You are also likely to have some bleeding and discharge from your vagina. If you had a colposcopy only, then the bleeding and discharge may pass after a few days.
Your doctor may recommend colposcopy if a Pap test or pelvic exam revealed abnormalities. Colposcopy can be used to diagnose: Genital warts. Inflammation of the cervix (cervicitis)
Following the procedure, a person should feel fine as soon as it is over. Light spotting or cramping may occur, but people can continue with their daily activities and do not need to avoid vaginal sex. However, if the doctor performed a biopsy, it can take 1–2 days to recover.
More than 14,000 Americans develop cervical cancer each year. However, cervical cancer is a treatable condition, and there is an excellent chance of cure if the cancer is found and treated in the early stages.
Most early-stage cervical cancers are treated with a radical hysterectomy operation, which involves removing the cervix, uterus, part of the vagina and nearby lymph nodes. A hysterectomy can cure early-stage cervical cancer and prevent recurrence. But removing the uterus makes it impossible to become pregnant.
Research has found that it can take 10 to 20 years, or even longer, for HPV-infected cervical cells to develop into a cancerous tumor. Among women whose cervical cells are infected with high-risk HPV, several factors increase the chance that the infection will be long lasting and lead to precancerous cervical cells.
You will be able to drive yourself home after this procedure. You may bring someone to drive you if you would like. If you do not have a biopsy done, you may: Resume normal activity immediately after the procedure.
Is colposcopy considered surgery? Colposcopy isn't surgery, but biopsies are considered minor surgical procedures. Biopsies sometimes happen as part of colposcopy. If your provider finds any abnormalities during your colposcopy, they can remove a sample of the suspicious tissue.
It is normally done while you're awake. Local anaesthetic is injected into your cervix to numb it during the treatment. This means that you will not feel pain. You may feel period-like pain during this treatment.
Do not douche, have sexual intercourse, or use tampons for 1 week if you had a biopsy. This will allow time for your cervix to heal. You can take a bath or shower anytime after the test.
If you test positive for HPV 16/18, you will need to have a colposcopy. If you test positive for HPV (but did not have genotyping performed or had genotyping and tested negative for 16/18), you will likely have a colposcopy.
The two tests are similar in nature, however, the biggest difference is that a colposcopy also uses a magnifying instrument to help the physician get a closer look. Colposcopies may also be done if a woman has unexplained irregular bleeding or to diagnose cervical cancer.
Yes. During the four- to six-week recovery time, new healthy tissue grows on your cervix to replace the removed abnormal tissue.
Treatments to remove precancerous cervical lesions don't seem to affect a woman's ability to become pregnant, new research found. The use of diagnostic colposcopy and biopsy and other procedures to diagnose and treat precancerous cervical lesions does not appear to decrease a woman's chances of becoming pregnant.
Most people can return to work or school immediately after having a colposcopy. Some people have mild pain or cramping, but this usually goes away within one to two hours. Do not put anything in the vagina (creams, douches, tampons) and do not have sex for 48 hours after having a biopsy.
Your examination results
You should receive a letter about three weeks after your appointment.
Your doctor may suggest that, for 24 to 48 hours before a colposcopy, you stop using vaginal medicines, creams, powders, or foams. During this period, you should also stop having vaginal sex, using tampons, or placing any other products in your vagina.
A colposcopy is a simple outpatient procedure done using a colposcope (microscope) to check for any abnormal changes of the cervix. A biopsy may be taken and sent to the laboratory for further evaluation.