Colposcopy wait

[SherbetLemon713]

Hi everyone! Has anyone been waiting ages for a colposcopy after an abnormal smear due to covid?

I’ve been waiting 13 weeks now when they said it would be no longer than 8 weeks and every time I’ve called they have just said I’m on a waiting list due to reduced clinics running because of the virus. I get that the NHS will be under a lot of pressure atm but it doesn’t stop me worrying!

My smear tests results came back as hpv negative but abnormal cells seen, which I was confused about as well as I thought they only checked for abnormal cells now if the sample was hpv positive. And I also thought that hpv caused the cell changes! Has anyone had experience of this scenario?

Hi OP, I received my appointment within 10 days, but I tested positive for HPV so I don't know if that makes a difference. I would imagine it depends in area too

I’m in Northern Ireland and waited four and a half months for a colposcopy last year, after my smear showed HPV and level one cell changes. It made me incredibly anxious, but like you, was repeatedly told I was on the waiting list and nothing could be done. Could you ask to be given any cancellations that may come up? Or could you afford to go private?

I think some people can experience cell changes without HPV, but HPV is the most common cause of cell changes.

I'm in North Wales.
I have had positive HPV for 3 years but no cell changes noted. I was sent for a colposcopy and biopsy after my last smear and waited 5 weeks for the appointment.
The biopsy showed high grade cell changes and I have an appointment for Lletz procedure next week. It has been a 12 week wait for this.

I’ve had my letter though with an appointment for the end of this month, so at least that’s it arranged.

@DuskandSummer you have waited 12 weeks for the Lletz procedure? That seems like an awful long time after them finding high grade cell changes! Hope it goes well

@sherbetlemon glad you have an appointment. I had mine last Thursday and they performed Lletz at the same time. Not sure if that is the norm or not!

@Winewednesday I think that’s normal from what I’ve read up! I think if they need to take a small biopsy then they can do it there and then also, unless they need to do a cone biopsy which needs to be done under general anaesthetic. Is that you finished with your treatment then?

@SherbetLemon713 pleased your appointment has come through. Hope it all goes well.
Yes it has been a long wait, just a couple more days now. I think they do sometimes do them at the same time @Winewednesday. They mentioned this at my colposcopy but I also have ectropion and apparently the position of the cells made it too difficult.
How was the procedure? I'm not looking forward to it.

Hi both, they did take biopsies and I should hear in 4-6 weeks. I did have a general anesthetic too. If I'm honest I was very nervous and I hadn't realised they were going to do the Lletz because my letter said they may do it of they think its necessary. The Lletz took around 30 minutes, it was pretty pain free, and it was very similar to a smear. They have stirrups to put your legs in so it was a little more comfortable then my last smear. I was glad I had my husband waiting in the car though, I felt a little light headed after. Its all happened so quick for me and I have been and still am so worried about my biopsy results. I hope you both have the Lletz as soon as you can if needed

Thank you @Winewednesday. I might get my husband to drop me off and pick me up tomorrow in case I feel iffy. (Or take some leftover Easter egg to perk me up a bit!)
I hope your results come back quickly and you won't need any more treatment.

Thank you, I would recommend a lift there and back if possible. Good luck

The waiting continues for me. When I got there today the consultant reviewed the images from the colposcopy and decided I will need a general anaesthetic. The cells border the ectropion and he thinks excessive bleeding may be an issue.
I had a pre op assessment, they think it may be 3 months for a surgery slot to be available.
I am reminding myself the cell changes are typically slow and hoping they do not get any worse before they can be removed.

Hi @Winewednesday, the waiting is the worst part I think! No news is probably good news I imagine, I’m sure if they find anything sinister when testing your biopsy, you would get a call from them a lot quicker. But then again, they may have a lot of biopsies to get through. Hopefully all goes well and you receive your biopsy results soon.

Hi @Molehillfromamountain, oh no, that’s quite a long wait considering you’ve already had to wait 3 months for this appointment. Yes, that’s true that the changes are slow so hopefully all is well when you finally get your surgery booked in.

I just waited around 8 weeks in Scotland and felt lucky to be seen within that time. Now waiting another 4 to 6 weeks on results. It’s so hard, I just Tried to tell myself that if it was urgent they’d get you in quicker.

Hi @Nowhereelsetogo90 my appointment for colposcopy is tomorrow and that will have been 17 weeks I’ve been waiting! I’m really hoping I don’t need a biopsy as I know waiting for the results is going to be hell! Did they give you any indication of what they thought the problem was at your appointment?

@Nowhereelsetogo90 oh and I’m in Scotland too so I guess it just depends how busy your area is on how long you wait.

@SherbetLemon713 that’s a horrendous waiting time! They were really good at the appointment and showed me the cell changes on the screen, the nurse explained that they grade changes as CIN 1, 2 or 3, in order of severity. She said looking at mine that the most likely outcome would be the need to have a Lletz procedure to have them removed but need to wait on biopsy results to be 100%.

It probably all depends on your area and obviously the staff but I got really lucky, the two nurses I had couldn’t have been nicer and really went out of their way to make me feel at ease. I’d second the PP to get someone to take you and wait outside as I also felt quite light headed afterwards and was sore for a day or two - nothing major, stomach cramps for a few hours, felt like an annoying period pain. Then a bit of soreness inside the vagina and I bled lightly for 3-4 days. Nothing unmanageable. Good luck

That is so incredibly poor from the NHS in your area. I had my smear on 1/10/20 and I had a call from my practice nurse to tell me it was abnormal on 02/10/20 and my appointment was on 06/10/20. I was diagnosed with cancer at that appointment though so it wasn’t all good.

The second two dates should have been November not October

@Nowhereelsetogo90 yes it’s been a really long time, any time I called for an update on my appointment, they just said I was on a list due to a backlog of cases because of covid. I had a colposcopy 5 years ago but never had a biopsy or any treatment, the doctor just said that it was only a tiny area of abnormal cells she could see and they should clear up on their own, so I’m hoping it’s similar to that one but I’ve got a feeling it won’t be this time. I’ve seen in some places they do the Lletz there and then if needed, but in some they await the biopsy results first. Hopefully you get your results soon, the not knowing and waiting is horrible!

Hi @MrsPnut Yes it’s been terribly long. I know a few girls that have waited ages on Lletz also. Sorry to hear about your cancer diagnosis. I keep telling myself that it can’t be anything serious wrong with me as I would have had an appointment quicker but then again I won’t know until I’m seen! It doesn’t help that I’ve had a few symptoms the past few months that I’m not too happy about but I haven’t been to see my GP as I just thought I would wait to this appointment.

I’ll update you ladies tomorrow

My smear was early dec. I only got the letter in last month(march) to tell me it was cin1 and hpv+ . My colp appt was this morning. Ive now a 2-3 week wait for results of that.