Abnormal Pap Followup Exam
(colposcopy)

As with all your visits to About Women Ob-Gyn, we want to make sure you feel at ease, and we go above and beyond to ensure your comfort. In general, a colposcopy follows these steps:

• After undressing from the waist down and putting on a hospital gown, you will lie on an examination table, with your feet and legs supported as for a pelvic examination.
• Your physician will insert an instrument called a speculum into your vagina to spread the walls of the vagina apart to expose the cervix.
• The colposcope, which is like a microscope with a light on the end, will be placed at the opening of your vagina. The colposcope does not enter your vagina.
• Your physician will look through the colposcope to locate any problem areas on the cervix or in the vagina and photos may be taken to include in for your healthcare record.
• Your cervix may be cleansed and soaked with a vinegar solution, also called an acetic acid solution, which may cause a mild burning sensation. This solution causes any abnormal tissues to turn white and become more visible. In addition, an iodine solution may be used to coat the cervix and expose abnormal tissue. This is called the Schiller test.
• Your physician may take a small tissue sample called a biopsy. The physician will numb the area first, but you may feel a slight pinch or cramp as the tissue is removed.
• Cells from the inside of the cervical canal may be sampled with a special instrument called an endocervical curette. This may also cause some cramping.
• Bleeding from the biopsy site may be treated with a medication cream or with a pressure dressing.
• The tissue will be sent to a lab for examination and we will notify you of the results.