Cervical erosion surgery
Posted , 3 users are following.
Just wanted some advice and to hear off some other women who have been through this.
Basically I'm 17 and after visits to the doctors and hospital I've been told I have a large area of cervical erosion.They think it's from being on the pill. I'm booked in to have my surgery on Tuesday and I'm really scared about it. They are essentially going to burn it off using a hot loop I believe? But I'm honestly so scared especially because I have to be awake for it 😩
Can anyone who has had this surgery tell me about their experiences during the surgery and what recovery was like?
I want to hear good and bad, I'd rather hear honest story's than people trying to be nice about it
Thank you
0 likes, 4 replies
sagarius amycliff1999
Posted
katrina72 amycliff1999
Posted
Wow. Nice to see, with the NHS struggling for survival, that doctors are still so keen to butcher women's bodies at the drop of a hat.
Amy, I can't tell you what the procedure was like as I had several procedures done and insisted on being put to sleep.
All I can say is that agreeing to that surgery is one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Sure, it got rid of the erosion, but it caused many other problems which are still unresolved nearly 15 years later and I wish to god I hadn't just followed doctor's orders and gone along with it.
An erosion is a perfectly harmless and very common condition. While the spotting may be a nuisance it is absolutely no threat to your health and often resolves in time. Think of it as a skin condition caused by changing hormones. If the quacks believe it's caused by the pill why didn't they suggest changing your brand to see if that helps? They are dealing with a symptom, not the cause of the problem, and there's no guarantee it won't come back after all this.
Seriously - if your pill was giving you outbreaks of spots on your face, would they suggest slicing off your skin with a hot wire? No, they'd change your brand of pill.
It may not actually be your pill anyway, sometimes it can flare up due to natural hormonal fluctuation (as it did with me) and I'm shocked that they're so quick to subject someone so young to such surgery knowing full well that these hormonal imbalances are so common in young women.
BTW, this kind of 'treatment' is carried out for cervical 'abnormalities' which are picked up on smear tests. We have been told for the past thirty years that these treaments are 'minor and harmless', yet the new screening leaflet admits that it can cause damage to the cervix which, as the previous poster said, can affect a future pregnancy. So they've been lying to us for years.
Your ce
n off your face with a hot wire? No, they'd change your brand of pill.
It may not actually be your pill anyway, sometimes it can flare up due to natural normonal fluctuation (as it did with me) and I'm shocked that they're so quick to subject someone so young to such surgery knowing full well that these hormonal imbalances are so common in young women.
BTW, this kind of 'treatment' is carried out for cervical 'abnormalities' which are picked up on smear tests. We have been told for the past thirty years that these treaments are 'minor and harmless', yet the new screening leaflet admits that it can cause damage to the ceervic which, as the previous poster said, can affect a future pregnancy. So they've been lying to us for years.
Your cervixi is a very important part of your body - it's a powerful muscle which plays a vital role in fertility, pregnancy and sexuality. It's not just a piece of meat and shouldn't be chopped up like one. Removing the skin can indeed cause scarring, and sometimes you can suffer a condition called stenosis where the cervical opening narrows. This can not only affect your reproductive ability but it can cause menstrual problems too.
You seriously need to consider whether the erosion is such a nuisance that you're willing to run the risks of complications, which will lead to more medical procedures in the future. Don't allow yourself to be a cash cow for a
greedy gynaecolgist.
your face with a hot wire? No, they'd change your brand of pill.
It may not actually be your pill anyway, sometimes it can flare up due to natural normonal fluctuation (as it did with me) and I'm shocked that they're so quick to subject someone so young to such surgery knowing full well that these hormonal imbalances are so common in young women.
BTW, this kind of 'treatment' is carried out for cervical 'abnormalities' which are picked up on smear tests. We have been told for the past thirty years that these treaments are 'minor and harmless', yet the new screening leaflet admits that it can cause damage to the cervix which, as the previous poster said, can affect a future pregnancy. So they've been lying to us for years.
Your cervix is a very important part of your body - it's a powerful muscle which plays a vital role in fertiltiy, pregnancy and sexuality. It's not just a piece of meat and shouldn't be chopped up like one. Removing the skin can indeed cause scarring, and sometimes you can suffer a condition called stenosis where the cervical opening narrows. This can not only affect your reproductive changes but it can cause menstrual problems too.
You seriously need to consider whether the erosion is such a nuisance that you're willing to run the risks of complications, which will lead to more medical procedures in the future. Don't allow yourself to be a cash cow for a
greedy gynaecolgist.
katrina72
Posted
Apologies for messing up the previous post!
Just a bit more info: I had an erosion which popped up out of the blue. My hormones have always been jumpy if my periods are anything to go by, but I was certainly not on any kind of hormones or medication at the time. I was experiencing spotting about five days before and after my period, and after sex, which meant bleeding for about 3 weeks a month! I went to the GP just to get it checked out since I had no idea back then about these kind of issues. The GP insisted on doing a smear test - bad idea, I'll explain why in a moment - and then told me I had an erosion. He explained what it was, even drew me a diagram, but at no point did he tell me that it was harmless and that it might clear up on it's own. While he didn't say it was a disease, exactly, I was given the impression that this was something that absolutely HAD to be treated. Surgery was booked. I went along with it. Didn't know any better back then.
Cryotherapy was performed. The erosion was back within a month and even worse than before.
The smear test result was 'unsatisfactory' because as soon as the GP shoved that spatula into my cervix it started bleeding, and there was too much blood in my sample. Should never have done it in the first place, but GP's have to reach targets for cervical screening.
Went back to the GP, who insisted on doing a pointless (painful, humiliating) pelvic exam and then after he'd finished prodding and poking announced he could SEE the erosion winking at him. Thanks, Doc! He then insists he will not refer me to a GYN until I'd had another smear. Blackmail. This one came back with 'borderline changes' which I was later told was due to having an erosion!!!
(N.B. The smear test does not find 'precancerous cells'. It is a scraping of skin taken from one of the most changable parts of your body. Any changes in the skin cells are classed as potentially pre-cancerous because they just don't know which one are harmless and which ones are not. Most of these changes are cause by inflammation, irritation, chemical reactions (condoms, lubricants, tampons), bruising after lovemaking... in fact, dramatic hormonal changes which are quite normal in very young women, during pregnancy, menopause etc. can cause changes to the cervical skin which can be classed as 'abnormal', so be warned... it's not a reliable test. The overdiagnosis and overtreatment rate is appalling.)
Back to the GYN, who books me in for a colposcopy to check my cervix for the legendary 'pre-cancerous' cells - there was nothing there, by the way - and a laparoscopy (camera through the navel) to check out my womb because of my heavy periods.
As I said, I insisted on a general anaethetic so I couldn't say what the procedures were like. I'm a very modest person and I felt humiliated just undergoing smears/pelvic exams, let alone exposing myself like that in a room full of people.
I don't remember being too sore in the lady garden after surgery but then I was very sore around the navel and couldn't stand up straight for six weeks. My belly button looks like it was sewn up by a two-year old. I had a mucky brown vag. discharge for a long time afterwards, I remember that. Word of warning - this treatment is quite brutal and it takes a long, long time for the cervix to fully heal, and it's unlikely to be as it was before - the cervix doesn't have Wolverine powers, scarring is very common, just as it would be it you scraped the flesh from any other other part of your body with a hot wire. Allow at least six weeks before you get frisky again, don't just think you must be fine when the discharge stops.
Anyway, I was told I had a little endometriosis which they zapped. My next period was light as a feather, then it went back to the way it had been before surgery. And the coploscoy showed no sign of any dodgy cells. They removed the erosion using loop diathermy - the hot wire you speak of. I've seen videos of it on YouTube, and it sickens me that this is done to thousands of healthy women every year.
Ever since then I've had a thrush-like condition, very mild but constantly there. A little sore, a little itchy in that area (mild enough to resist the urge to scratch). Penetration has become very painful, to the point where sex was entirely off the menu and my relationship collapsed. It's been 15 years and the doctors don't never gave a damnn about me. They just keep throwing the same old medications at me, which only irritate my skin even more, and one 'specialist' had the nerve to tell me, after having a good feel around, that I did indeed have an infection (no s**t, Sherlock!) but any pain and discomfort I experienced was all in my head.
Sorry, I'm really rambling here. I'm just trying to tell you that this condition is NOT dangerous, you do NOT need treatment, and warning you that should you suffer from any complications you won't get much help. If there's any worry that your post surgery scarring/stenosis could impact on your ability to crate a future tax-payer, you'll can expect more medical 'treatments'. If the problems affect your general health or enjoyment in the bedroom - don't expect any help with that.
Jane2000 amycliff1999
Posted
I would definitely like to know if the treatment is necessary. Any treatment to your cervix can cause problems with future pregnancies. If it is down to the pill you are using, ask them why changing your pill wouldn't be a better solution?
Remember it is your body. If you want to have more time to think about this, you are entitled to do so. They cannot go ahead with treatment without your consent. If you are not happy, and would rather wait and see, ask them about this.