How to Prepare for a Colposcopy

An abnormal Pap smear result can be an indication of the presence of abnormal cervical cells that are possibly precancerous or cancerous. Your gynecologist may wish to perform a procedure called a Colposcopy in order to further study the abnormal cells that are present on the cervix. The Colposcopy will allow the doctor to visually examine the vagina, vulva and cervix. During the Colposcopy examination, a biopsy of abnormal tissue will also be performed. Understanding the procedure may help to lessen apprehension.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Over-the-counter pain reliever
• Light day sanitary napkin

1. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever at least 1 hour before the procedure. This will help with any discomfort you may experience during and after the Colposcopy.

2. Empty your bladder and bowels prior to having the procedure and entering the examination room. This way you will not have to interrupt the procedure once it is started.

3. Undress from the waist down, drape yourself with the examination sheet and lie on the examination table with your legs bent and feet placed in the stirrups.

4. The doctor will now perform a visual examination of the exterior genital area and then insert the speculum into the vagina, which will allow the doctor to see the cervix.

5. Using the Colposcope (lighted microscope), the doctor will look at the vaginal walls and cervix.

6. The cervix will then be cleaned with a saltwater solution before the doctor swabs the area with acetic acid (vinegar solution) and examines with the Colposcope.

7. Abnormal cells will react to the acetic acid and turn white. Areas that turn white will then be swabbed and stained with lugol’s solution, which will clearly identify abnormal areas.

8. A biopsy sample will be cut from any abnormal areas and sent to the laboratory for further testing and examination.

9. Redress and place a light day sanitary napkin into your underpants to monitor for bleeding and discharge after the procedure unless a biopsy was not performed.

Tips & Warnings

• Schedule your Colposcopy for a date that does not coincide with your menstruation cycle. The test cannot be performed while you have your period because the results can be compromised and there is a higher risk for infection.
• There will be discomfort throughout the Colposcopy stemming from the solutions used, which can feel cold or even sting slightly, as well as the possibly pain from snipping and pinching of the tissue samples during the biopsy. Try to relax as much as you can and take slow deep breaths. If the pain and discomfort is intolerable, tell your doctor.
• Do not get up to fast after the procedure is completed. Take a few minutes to relax before getting up to redress, because you may feel light headed or dizzy.
• For at least one week after the Colposcopy, especially if a biopsy was performed, you should avoid sexual intercourse, using a tampon, douching and using vaginal medications because it can irritate the biopsy areas and cause infection.
• Results from the Colposcopy should be received within two weeks after the procedure. You will want to call your doctor after two weeks if you have not heard anything from them.
• Refrain from using any type of vaginal medication, tampons, douches or having sexual intercourse for at least a 24 hour period prior to having the Colposcopy. Again, this is so the cells are not compromised which can lead to an inaccurate result.
• Monitor for excessive bleeding (soaking a sanitary napkin every hour), abnormal vaginal discharge (yellowish) with foul odor and a temperature that goes above 100.4 degrees F because this is a symptom of possible infection from the Colposcopy. Call your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.

Resources

• Johns Hopkins Medicine: Treatment of Cervical Lesions
• Colposcopy
• Colposcopy Visualizations
• The United States National Library of Medicine