What is colposcopy, few today know, since this procedure has only recently become desirable, and in some clinics - and mandatory. Many women, having learned that they are prescribed colposcopy, are scared and harass their gynecologists with questions about why colposcopy is needed, whether it hurts.
In fact, there is nothing terrible and painful in this procedure. The question of what is colposcopy can be answered very simply: this is a gynecological procedure in which a detailed examination of the cervix is performed using a microscope.
If you describe colposcopy in detail, you can find out that this procedure is very similar to a routine gynecological examination: when it is performed, the walls of the vagina of the patient are diluted with a gynecological mirror, and a coloscope is brought to the cervix, a device that combines a binocular microscope and a lighting device. Colposcopy does not take much time. Its average duration is 20-30 minutes.
It should be noted that colposcopy was recognized as the safest of all diagnostic methods used in obstetrics and gynecology. And the fact that the procedure is performed without any anesthesia only confirms its painlessness - patients can experience only minor discomfort.
In some cases, this procedure can cause harm to health. Especially if the unpleasant consequences of the inspection were not detected on time. Therefore, knowing what colposcopy is, one should keep in mind its possible consequences.
So, if colposcopy was carried out with insufficient accuracy, the walls of the vagina or cervix can be damaged, and infection can also be introduced into them. Therefore, if after this procedure the patient has symptoms such as severe persistent bleeding, the appearance of strange vaginal discharge, pain and discomfort in the lower abdomen, as well as an increase in temperature, she should immediately consult a gynecologist.
The desire to know as much as possible about the upcoming procedure is very natural, so many patients ask not only what colposcopy is, but why it is needed. Perhaps many secretly hope that this procedure is not at all necessary for them, and it can be avoided.
To their disappointment, colposcopy is an absolutely indispensable procedure that allows you to identify many diseases of the female reproductive system that are asymptomatic.
So, colposcopy can detect erosion of the cervix, benign and malignant tumors, as well as various injuries of the cervix, vagina and vulva.
In addition, this procedure greatly facilitates the conduct of various samples (Schiller and Hrobak tests, an adrenaline test and a test using acetic acid), as well as targeted biopsy of the cervix, in which a small piece of tissue is taken from the most affected area for laboratory testing.
Colposcopy during pregnancy is also extremely important, since during this period a woman’s health is especially fragile. Colposcopy is not performed in the first trimester of pregnancy, since at this time it creates a threat of miscarriage. But in the second and third trimester, this procedure is extremely desirable, since it is during pregnancy that cervical erosion is especially intensively progressing. And if this unpleasant disease does not begin to be treated on time, then during childbirth it can lead to rupture of the cervix.
In general, it is advisable to undergo colposcopy annually. This procedure is indicated for all women who have sex. It should be borne in mind that a couple of days before colposcopy, you need to refrain from unprotected sexual intercourse, and also not to use gel lubricants, not to douche. You need to take a gasket with you for the procedure, since after colposcopy, slight bleeding is possible.