WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for September, 1998: Re: Just had colposcopy...questions??

Re: Just had colposcopy...questions??

From: D. Ashley Hill, M.D. (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sat, 12 Sep 1998 12:28:10 -0500 (CDT)

Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
Next message: D. Ashley Hill, M.D.: "Re: Teen age daughters prolonged menstrual cycle"
Previous message: MP: "Help! Hair falling out!!!!!"
In reply to: Tonya: "Just had colposcopy...questions??"

At Fri, 11 Sep 1998, Tonya wrote: >
>I just got back from having a colposcopy,

Lea wrote an excellent response, so I'll just add a little extra from the medical side of things. Pap smears and colposcopy are preventative medicine. It is extremely unlikely that the colposcopy will show cancer. However, it is possible it will show dysplasia, which is often a form of "precancer." Although this sounds bad, it may be a blessing in disguise. After all, without Pap smears and colposcopy, many of these abnormal areas would later turn in to cancer. The guy who invented Pap smears, Dr. Papanicolau, has saved millions of lives by *preventing* cervical cancer.

If it is a form of dysplasia, treatment will involve either waiting for 6 months (many mild dysplasias will go away on their own), freezing the cervix (an almost always painless procedure that takes about 10 minutes in the office), using an electric wire to remove the forward part of the cervix (a 10 minute technique called LEEP or LLETZ that is also done in the office under local anesthesia), or, in rare cases, a procedure called a cervical conization, done in the operating room under general anesthesia by a scalpel or a laser. All of these are considered minor procedures, because you can walk out of the office (or hospital) shortly after they are done. Usually the only postoperative instructions we give are to avoid tampons, douching, and intercourse for a few weeks. Cure rates for cervical dysplasia range from 80-90%.

I hope everthing turns our well.

-- Ashley Hill David Ashley Hill, M.D. Associate Director Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Florida Hospital Family Practice Residency Orlando, FL http://home.mpinet.net/dahmd

The above is intended for general medical education, and is not for specific medical advice. I apologize, but I am unable to answer personal e-mail due to time constraints.

Next message: D. Ashley Hill, M.D.: "Re: Teen age daughters prolonged menstrual cycle"
Previous message: MP: "Help! Hair falling out!!!!!"
In reply to: Tonya: "Just had colposcopy...questions??"

Women's Insurance Checklist from Auto Insurance Quote

use when must restrict search to only the women's health forum...
Enter search keywords:
	Returns per screen: Require all keywords: