There are some cells “of concern” on my cervix. Dr and I are hesitant to do laser removal (the only course of treatment) because of the chance of scarring.
(I haven’t had kids yet and he explained that scarring could of course reduce my chances of conceiving).
So we’re going to do another colposcopy test (my 3rd) in September to see if the cells have gone from “mild” to “moderate”
I’m curious - what if I somehow became pregnant in the meantime, and then the cells show as a “moderate” risk? Would they then laser them, or leave them be?
I guess my real question is would there be a risk to lasering them if I were pregnant?
Why does your doc say that laser is your only treatment option? There are several, depending on the situation…I had a LEEP done about a year and a half ago. There are pros and cons to all of them, and I don’t know of any invasive medical procedure that would be a good idea to perform on reproductive organs during rpregnmancy unless the situation were rather desperate, but if I were you I’d ask your doc about ALL your options and have him explain why he thinks laser is the way to go.
Also, keep in mind that you can stay at your current stage of riskiness for a looong time, or get better and have your next test come back completely normal (as mine have all been since the surgery), or it can get worse.
Good luck, and do some reading! I recommend Our Bodies, Ourselves, www.cancer.gov, and the NIH website.
Eva Luna,
not a doc, but waiting on results from her 5th quarterly post-LEEP PAP smear after a rather surprising and out of the blue cervical cancer diagnosis
Given the time period you have to wait in order to get some feedback (6 months), I’d try very hard NOT to get pregnant before then, else you might end up having to risk the life of your unborn child in order to protect your own.
Surgery, no matter how minor, on reproductive organs, while you’re in the process of reproducing, is probably not without risk.
I also had the LEEP procedure, over 10 years ago, with no problems since.
My OB/GYN debunked the “may make it difficult to concieve/cause labor problems/etc” myths right away. And she was right. Two kids later, I am still fit as a fiddle.
LEEP may not be as high-tech as a laser, but it is often the simple procedure that is best. Ask your doc about it.
Eva Luna, I’m not sure why my dr will only recommend laser removal as an option. But since we’ve agreed to wait until the fall to do another colposcopy, it gives me some time to do some research and be better informed, in case the situation gets worse and we have to follow some kind of treatment.