Questions about LEEP surgery - HELP!

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Questions about LEEP surgery - HELP!

by Dawn133 on Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:00 AM

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Hi,

I just got my results from my colposcopy.  I am so scared, they told me I need to get a LEEP procedure done very soon.  I have heard of people my age (27) getting the colposcopy and having abnormal cells, but they were all told that the virus would go away on its own.  That just makes me think that mine is really bad.  My Dr. told me that I have high grade lesions on my cervix.  She also said that they saw something on my vulva, and she would have to biopsy that also.

I'm not scared about the actualy surgery. I'm scared that it won't correct my problem, and I will have to get it done again, thus really lowering my chances of carrying a baby to full term.  I want to get pregnant in a few years, and it scares me that this may no longer be possible.

And I don't know what she is talking about in regards to my vulva having some abnormalities.  After all the reading I have done on LEEP, I haven't seen anything about that.

One more thing - I have been in a committed relationship for 3 years.  Since I'm pretty sure that HPV is causing this, wouldn't my boyfriend have this also?  So if the procedure does work, couldn't he just give it back to me again and this could all come back again?

I'm looking forward to any comments, I'm freaking out!

Dawn

RE: Questions about LEEP surgery - HELP!

by herenow on Sat Feb 28, 2009 12:00 AM

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I am so sorry this has happened and that your doctor has frightened you, this much. Please fire your doctor, immediately, and get a new one for the following reasons.

1. She's using scare tactics to frighten you so much, you'll be easy to manipulate into treatment you haven't had time to research. This is unethical.

2. She's being very vague rather than thorough with you about what you have and about your treatment options. This is against regulations.

Even if her surgical recommendation is appropriate, she still should not be trusted for the reasons I have stated. Your body is too precious to be entrusted to just any doctor. It is your integral right to have a doctor who cares enough and is ethical enough to make sure you are educated enough to make informed decisions. Please don't let fear cause you to be hasty. On Monday, call your primary care physician or the local hospital and ask for a referral to a new OB/GYN,. If you tell them it is urgent, the office will make room for you. That's how I got another doctor, and my first ex-doctor used the same tactics on me that your current doctor is using on you.

I'm going to give you some links so that you can educate yourself. But first, when you get your new doctor,

1. Look at the lab report. This will be your first step in educating yourself about your health so that you can make the best decisions possible for your body. Knowledge is power! It will take away the mystery, which will reduce a lot of the fear, and get you actively involved in what is best for your body.

2. Get a thorough explanation of what you have. You need to know which CIN grade you have, how extensive it is, how many cervical quadrants are involved, if it's in the endocervical canal, and if it's in the endocervical glands. That will determine the course of action you should take.

3. Get a full discussion of all of your surgical options - cryosurgery, laser, LEEP, and cold knife cone biopsy - before the new doctor makes a recommendation if you decide to have surgery. Since you are concerned about being able to have children, you might qualify for something less invasive than LEEP, such as cryosurgery or laser. The ACOG has some interesting things to say about the management of CIN II, and says doctor should take care to consider less-invasive options than LEEP in young women who want children. All surgical options have the same success rate, and what you have determines which one is best for you.

4. Insist on getting HPV DNA tested. Roche has AMPLICOR, which will tell you which strain(s) you have. This will help you assess whether or not it can progress faster or slower and help you make your decision. Insurance companies don't like it, and the FDA has definite corporate interests, so you may have to pay for it yourself, or your doctor may not be able to offer it to you unless you ask for it, or you may have to go to a teaching hospital to have it done.

A few comments about LEEP. Insurance companies love it because it's cheap and quick. Because there are several choices, it is appropriate in certain cases. If you decide it's the best choice, after you have educated yourself, I'm going to give you some ideas so that you can be proactive.

1. LEEP is done by use of electricity that passes through a metal wire, and when the metal is hot, it removes the tissue. If you have metal allergies, you must tell your doctor so that you can either be very proactive with antihistamines and/or antibiotics to reduce any reactions or infections or to do something else if your allergies are too severe,.

2. Make the doctor measure your cervix before the LEEP. That way when you get pregnant, your can give the OB/GYN the information. The doctor will measure your cervix again and monitor it carefully. Worst-case sceneario is that you will need a cervical stitch. But a caring OB/GYN wants you to go home with a live baby. So, the more information that doctor has, the more he or she can make sure that happens.

3, Know and be respectful of your pain tolerance and anxiety level. For some women, it's no big deal. They just want it done so that the abnormal tissue is removed. For other women, their nervousness is such, the doctor can prescribe a sedative to take beforehand. For other women, an IV-drip in-office can be used to make it easier for a nervous patient with a low pain tolerance. For still others, general anesthesia in outpatient is best. That's what I did. Remember, this is your body, and your doctor must do what will make it as easy for you as possible. But you must also tell the doctor of any heath issues you have.

And now, some links. I love this link because it is so thorough about HPV.

http://www.merckmedicus.com/pp/us/hcp/diseasemodules/hpvd/na

Here are some links about cervical dysplasia and your options. You just have to click on the page links to maneuver around for information.

http://www.mjbovo.com/Women/DysplasiaRx.htm

http://www.gynalternatives.com/default.htm

http://www.jotrust.co.uk/about_cervical_cancer/cin__pre_canc

This is an explanation about LEEP that also mentions the alternatives. I was impressed with the overall presentation of that clinic because they are thorough and fulfill the requirement by mentioning the other treatment options.

http://www.mhc.uiuc.edu/handouts/loop_electrosurgical_excisi

Here are some links by women who cleared up dysplasia through alternative medicine or used it in conjunction with traditional treatment, after they had educated themselves.

http://motherearthtreasurechest.blogspot.com/search/label/ab

http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,25090

http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,24002

I definitely hope things turn out well for you, but please make sure you get a new doctor.

RE: Questions about LEEP surgery - HELP!

by herenow on Sat Feb 28, 2009 12:00 AM

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I forgot to give you links for vulvar dysplasia (VIN), so I'll do that, now.

http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncanc06.htm

http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/med/obgyn/patedu/vulvarvag

 

RE: Questions about LEEP surgery - HELP!

by sthirty on Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:00 AM

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The previous reply above is great, very thorough and provides links to further research, which I would recommend reading. 

As for my perspective, I just had this procedure done today by my very respected OBGYN and it was just a little uncomfortable and I felt minor/pain and discomfort for only a few minutes.  I have a pretty high pain tolerance but it certainly isn't as bad as many people express in their posts online, etc.  My OBGYN said that conception and pregnancy following this type of procedure is almost always completely possible and normal and to live life, plan on being a parent, etc as I always have.

I will find out next week if I need more tissue removed or if all of the dysplasia cells have been removed (she said most likely they all have) and then I just need a PAP 6 months from now and then yearly.

 Honestly, it wasn't scary for me, but better, it gave me peace of mind that we have such great preventative procedures in medicine these days.

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