PAP Smear and Colposcopy
A cervical swab (PAP Smear) provides information about cellular changes in the cervix. When cellular changes detected in the cervix require more detailed surveillance, the cervix is observed from outside the vagina using colposcopy .
In addition to traditional methods, video camera technologies are used in our clinic to project these images on the screen and the patient has the chance to watch the images simultaneously with the doctor.
When To Get a Pap Smear Test?
It is recommended to go for routine check-ups once a year from the beginning of sexual life and to be tested with a Pap Test. If the results of the HPV test (co-test) are negative, it is sufficient to repeat the test every five years. A suspicious Pap Smear result or a positive HPV test for a high-risk type requires colposcopic examination.
Contact Op. Dr. Duygu Mutlu.
Pap Smear and colposcopy is critical for the diagnosis of many diseases. Do not neglect your routine cervical screening and submit your Pap smear sample at least once a year.
Why Pap Smear and Colposcopy Are Important?
Colposcopy is a microscopic examination technology that magnifies the cervix up to about forty times. Although patients generally believe that anesthesia is required for colposcopy, it is possible to skip this procedure painlessly with the colposcopy machines we use in our practice. Therefore, our patients can easily undergo a colposcopy examination without the need for anesthesia.
Colposcopy is based on spraying different types of dyes on the cervix and observing the way the dyes adhere to the tissue and the changes in the cervix. If a risky situation is diagnosed, a detailed examination with a biopsy would be necessary.
Biopsies taken from the cervix are painless as there is not much nerve tissue in this area. Patients with clear biopsy results are followed up closely with more frequent SMEAR checks. If the biopsy reveals a precancerous condition, LEEP (conization) is performed. In this procedure, part of the cervix is surgically removed in a conical shape.
Since the uterus, where the baby develops and is located in the womb, lags behind the cervix, the procedure is unlikely to harm conception or pregnancy. In addition to surgical intervention, some medical drug treatments may also help the disease to regress.
