Multiple punch biopsies before pregnancy

[llihl13]

I had two colposcopies with punch biopsies in the space of three months (October and January) then got the all clear shortly after and amazingly fell pregnant in February.

I had a bit of an ordeal with the first biopsy as she was a trainee, and upon reading my notes I can see she took “tan and mucoid fragments measuring 10mm in aggregate.”
The second biopsy took 4mm in aggregate.

At my first midwife appointment I told her of all this and she said she would be referring me to the preterm clinic just to be on the safe side.

After reading stories on here I am now really worried about miscarriage and preterm risk because the first biopsy took so much (10mm and above seems to be the risky number). Does anyone know if these two pinch biopsies will put me at risk? Are punch biopsies different to a LLETZ if they are both 10mm?

Thank you xx

They will send your colposcopy notes to the pre term clinic who will decide if you need extra care / stitches and that

Thank you, I guess I am just worried that because they are punch biopsies and not actual treatment that they won’t take seriously. But surely 10mm from a punch biopsy is no different to 10mm from a LLETZ! X

I've been referred to pre term prevention because I had lletz. They scan your cervix at around 16 weeks and if they think there is a problem there is a range of different treatments they can offer. At the less severe end they may just monitor you and give extra scans but even if there is a problem, there's lots that can be done to avoid premature birth.

A punch biopsy shouldn't have taken as much tissue as a lletz. I'm no expert, but the biopsy measurement might be a width measurement rather than depth. I think they're interest in both but particularly depth when deciding what to do.

Fwiw I wouldn't worry too much, many many women have LLETZ and multiple biopsies, the risk to your pregnancy is negligible but by all means ask to be scanned at 16w to check the cervical length just in case.

Fwiw, I've had 2 LLETZ treatments, and a number of punch biopsies. I had the extra scans but my cervix was above the treatment threshold, and baby hung on in there until 38w