abnormal cells on pap smear, anyone had a colopscopy?

[queenbee]

will be going back to doc on monday after 6 months for a follow up pap smear. if cells are still abnormal, i will need a colopscopy done. anyone had one and if so, what does it entail? i have read up some stuff about it but do you need a curette once they identify the cancerous cells? is the curette the next step? do you need to go under anesthetic?

[Lisa]

I had a colopscopy done years ago... basically it is just like a more in depth pap smear. From memory, my legs were in stirrups (fun!) and they had this thing that they looked at my cervix with... then the cervix was covered with an acid (like vinegar) which didn't sting, then they removed the cells which admittedly did sting a little, then it was all over.

Sorry if for being a little hazy... it was 7 years ago that I got it done.
I didn't need to go any further from there as my results came back as being fine.
Best of luck sweetie

[Danni]

Hi there, ive unfortunately had to go through a few of these

A Colposcopy for me was just a more in dept look at the cervix with legs in stirrups, and washing of the cervix in a vinegar like substane as Lisa said. As far as I know, they didn't remove any cells then and there.

You do get to look at the whole thing on a tv next to you though. Amazing at what your insides look like!

Then for me, if the specialist determined that yes he needed to remove things, I was then admitted to hospital, under a general anaesthetic to have them burnt, scraped and removed, and then yes, I needed a curette done each time.

Let us know how you go xx

[~Kim~]

Exactly what Lisa said.
Until 2 years ago I was having pap smears/colposcopies every 6 months for abnormal cells. That went on for nearly 10 years. I had never had a D&C with them. My abnormal cells are normal for me IYKWIM? They're the same every time.

[Danni]

Also what Kim said. Sometimes they will let you be if your cells have no advanced in stages.

CIN1 is mild, CIN2 needs attention, and CIN3 needs urgent attention.

So if they havent gotten any worse, they may leave them and ask you to come back in a few months again

[AngelPunks]

I had one with a CIN3. They got most of the cells (like 95%) with the colposcopy but because it was a CIN3 I had to go back and have a letz under general.

Not painful at all - just like an extra pap smear.

Good luck sweetheart All will be good

[Miss E]

I had one done just over a year ago after I had an abnormal pap smear. Much the same as everyone else said (except I didn't get to see it on the TV), but they took a small sample of the abnormal cell that they saw for testing. It came back as a possible CIN 1 so I didn't have to have anything further done other than a pap smear 12 months later.