Have you ever had a colposcopy?

[american_mama]

Does it hurt? Is it like getting a pap smear but longer and with more swabbing/poking? Does your doctor tell you something afterwards based on what he sees or does he say nothing until lab results are in? I don't quite get what the goal is - visualization of the cervix or sampling/biopsying of the cervix? Do you have a follow up to discuss results or just get them via a phone call or mail? What are the next steps if the results are good or if they are bad?

I was going to ask all this of the doctor the day of, but I am operating in too much of a blackhole of info. for my comfort level. Thanks.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I have had 2, both before kids. I think nowadays it wouldn't be a big deal (more used to being poked and prodded down there). I don't remember the specifics but your description of a pap with mor swabbing and poking is about right. They did a few biopsies during mine and those pinched. Nothing really that painful but uncomfortable. She really checked out the cervix under magnification and then drew me a picture of the areas of concern. I had to wait a few days for biopsy results but she was able to tell me some things on the spot.

I hope that everything is ok!!!!

Beth

[Cam&Clay]

I have had one. I will admit that it was painful which could have been more so because I was pregnant at the time. The doctor told me what she saw, but I had to wait a few days for them to call me with results.

I had some bleeding and discharge from the materials they use and had to wear a pad for a few days.

[Octobermommy]

A colposcopy takes about 15 minutes. More poking prodding than a pap. It can hurt nThey are trying to visualize the spot that.
is causing a bad pap smear and take a sample of it to make sure it is not cancer. You won't get definite results until labs are in but they should tell you how it looks
immediately.

Every doctor is different on how results are given.

Hope everything goes well!

[jellibeans]

I mostly remember a cramping feeling. And they take a sampling of your cervix. I think that it took a few days for my results to come back and then I had to have cryotherapy done. That hurt more or maybe it was just more uncomfortable. But all of this was before kids. And going to the OB is just different before having kids. It's never a day at the beach, but I think that it was HORRIBLE at the time because I didn't have anything else to compare it to. And then I had kids.

[lalasmama]

I've never had one, but assisted in many....

The goal is to check to see if there are any cervical changes causing your abnormal pap smear.

At the beginning, it will seem just like a pap smear. You will have the speculum to visualize the cervix. They will take a cleaning swab (giant qtip on steroids), then they will paint your cervix with vinegar. The vinegar makes questionable spots on your cervix stand out white. They then take the colposcope (it looks like a weird microscope, kind of), and they inspect your cervix with the colposcope. You won't feel anything during this part of the exam, as he's basically using a giant microscope to get a close up view.

If they find anything to sample (which they likely will), they will take it. That tends to smart I have been told.

Sample is sent to the lab, and the results take about a week, generally. How you get the results vary from office to office. We would typically bring women in for theirr results no matter the outcome. It was just nicer, and we then had plenty of time to answer any questions.

[ilfaith]

I've had two colposcopies. The first, before having children, was followed by cryotherapy. The second was chile pregnant with DS3 (and everything was normal).

I would say the vinegar burned a little, I felt was a quick sharp pinch with each biopsy, and there was a little bit of cramping afterwards, but neither was terribly painful or traumatic.

[o_mom]

I had a couple before kids - at the time I thought it was not fun, not horrible, but like a long more pap with extra poking and cramping. They basically want to visualize the cervix and use some sort of wash (vinegar?) to make any atypical cells show up better under a really big light. Then they usually biopsy the spot which is a bit more painful, but again not the worst. I would put it on par with getting an IUD.

Having had kids... now it would be no big deal and I would actually look forward to 20 min on an exam table with nobody screaming for me.

[ilfaith]

Having had kids... now it would be no big deal and I would actually look forward to 20 min on an exam table with nobody screaming for me.[/QUOTE]

I feel the same was. My mother was complaining to me about her physical therapy session and I thought it sounded like heaven.