Colposcopy is a procedure in which the doctor uses a special microscope (colposcope) to look into the vagina and cervix. It is used to find abnormal parts of the cervix and take a sample to figure out how to treat them.
This procedure is usually done after you have had an abnormal Pap smear.
The doctor will use a colposcope, which is like a microscope with its own light, to look into your vagina. You will lie on the examining table just as for a regular pelvic examination. The doctor will use a speculum to spread the vaginal walls apart. He or she will place the colposcope at the vaginal opening, wash the cervix with vinegar, look into the vagina, and try to locate the problem area. The doctor may apply numbing medicine and take a small tissue sample to send to the lab. Then the doctor will remove the colposcope and the speculum. To reduce cramping, you may wish to take 2 or 3 Advil or 1 Aleve the night before and the morning of your colposcopy.
The doctor will tell you what he or she saw. The test results from the lab should be ready in about three weeks.
The doctor should be able to make a better diagnosis of the problem in your cervix and/or vagina. If a precancer is found early, it can almost always be cured.
Call during office hours if you need to change your appointment.