Significance of Pap Test results

I was scheduled for an SCH for multiple fibroids. I called the gyn last Thursday to confirm my surgery for this coming Tuesday, and his nurse told me that they'd just received my Pap results and they showed "Atypia", so they needed to postpone surgery and I needed to come in for a colposcopy.

I told the nurse, "If this is what it feels like to worry about Pap results, then let's just take my cervix out too"! I asked her to tell the doctor I wanted to switch to a total hyst. so I could avoid the cost of the colposcopy, possible biopsy, etc. I added that they could do any pathology they wanted to on my cervix once it was out of my body.

When I heard back from the doctor's office, the nurse told me that the doctor understood my logic, but had a "legal obligation" to do the colposcopy. I figured there was no point arguing with the nurse, and the doctor wasn't in the office, so I made an appointment for Monday.

So... if this is my very first ever abnormal Pap, and it merely shows "atypia" and not dysplasia, and if I'm willing to have my cervix removed during my already-scheduled hysterectomy, can anybody tell me why the doctor would insist on a colposcopy and possibly a biopsy? I'm looking for some reasoning to help me understand his point of view when I go in for my appointment on Monday, because frankly, I'm 99% sure I want to refuse this treatment on the basis of cost and logic. As some of you may remember, I pay cash for everything, and I've been told this procedure could add about $500 more to my expenses (whereas just removing my cervix altogether only adds $1000 to surgery costs, and I won't have to worry about abnormal Paps in the future).

I'm irritated, but I realize the message may have just been muddled as it travelled amongt the doctor, nurse, and me. I've done lots of reading online and can't even find cases where a colposcopy is recommended for simple atypia, so I'm hoping someone can explain some scenarios to me where all this makes sense.

Thanks

Hi, I'm sorry you are having the communication problem with your doctor! Why not get a second opinion just to be safe? I had to get a uterine sampling done when I had my initial exam. Even though during that exam they told me that I would need a hyster. Why? I don't know why. It was told to me that they wanted to make sure, since I was having so much pain and problems with my uterus and bleeding. They needed to check it for cancer.

I guess there is a rhyme and reason for everything. Keep us informed!

Sara

I'm going thru the same exact thing.. It's dragging out the whole process for me. And I'm furstrated to tears - literally. I don't know how I'm getting thru this weekend.

When my last exam was due, I metioned to my family Dr that I had been spotting in between periods for the last 2 mo. and that my periods had changed over the last couple of years to having alot of cramping and clotting. He said since I was bleeding he couldn't do the pap, so he sent me in for an US. A week later, it came back showing 4 lg fibroids and a nabothian cyst. He then referred me to a gyn, 2 wks later I see her and she lets me know what I already figured out, that a hyst was the only permanent solution, and considering my age, circumstance etc., I was hoping she would recommend a hyst w/o putting me thru all the alternatives first. Anyway, she did the pap and a endo. biopsy, turns out it wasn't a cyst at all, but she wasn't sure what it was. She wanted to do a coploscopy then, but due to the excess bleeding from the biopsy, she had to wait a week. We'd have the test results back then and could plan from there. Next week, the reports showed the endo was normal, but the pap showed atypia cells. Now in almost 30 yrs of having paps, I've never had a bad one, so for it to show up now, when all this other stuff is going on is kinda scary. She then did the colposcopy and found that the cyst was actually a uterine polyp poing thru my cervix. Yuk! So she did a biopsy on the polyp and on my cervix. I confronted her right in the middle of the biopsy. I said "You're going to be taking it all out anyway, let's just get on with this and do the biopsies later!" She told me that she needs to know what she's getting into and that it could affect the kind of surgery she performs. She won't even schedule the surgery til she has the results. So here it is 10 days later, reports were supposed to be back last Wed, and I still don't have them. I was on the phone with the Dr's office AND the lab all day yesterday, begging them to not make me go thru this weekend not knowing. 5 o'clock came and went with no phone call. I've been about in tears ever since.

Anyway that's why my Dr is waiting. However if I were you, I'd call and ask to speak directly to your Dr. Explain to her that these expenses are coming right out of your pocket book, and you only want them if they are absolutely necessary. Maybe she can at least give them to you at her cost or something...

Good luck and let me know what you find out. Sounds like we're travelling on parrallel lines...

Sherry