Colposcopy

A colposcopy is a non-surgical diagnostic tool performed with a colposcope. It’s used to further examine the cervix, vagina, and vulva when a woman has an abnormal Pap smear. A colposcopy feels similar to a Pap smear collection. However, instead of taking a sample of cervical cells, your health care provider places the colposcope at the vaginal opening to more closely examine your cervical tissue in order to detect any abnormalities. In areas where cervical tissue may appear suspicious, your health care provider will use a separate instrument to obtain a small tissue sample. You may feel a slight pinch or cramp and there might be some minor bleeding from the biopsy site, or temporary pelvic pain. The tissue will then be sent to a lab for analysis.

When a biopsy is performed, our office will contact you to discuss results and next steps. Depending upon the biopsy results, various treatments can be performed in the comfort of our office. These treatments may include observation, cryosurgery or “freezing” of the cervix, laser removal or “burning,” and LEEP procedures.