Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Like the laser treatment, cryocautery is an ablation
therapy. It uses nitrous oxide to freeze the abnormal area. This technique,
however, is not optimal for large areas or areas where abnormalities are already
advanced or severe. After the procedure, women may experience a significant
watery vaginal discharge for
several weeks. As with laser ablation, significant complications of this
procedure are rare and occur in about 1% of patients. They include narrowing
(stenosis) of the cervix and delayed bleeding. Cryocautery also does not allow
sampling of the abnormal area and is generally felt to be inappropriate for
women with advanced cervical disease. Thus, this procedure is not satisfactory
for treating cervical cancer, but is useful for milder dysplasia.
Loop electrosurgical excision procedure
Loop electrosurgical excision procedure, also known as
LEEP, is an
inexpensive, simple technique that uses a radio-frequency current to remove
abnormal areas. It has an advantage over the destructive techniques in that an
intact tissue sample for analysis can be obtained. Vaginal discharge and
spotting commonly occur after this procedure. Complications occur in about 1% to
2% of women undergoing LEEP, and include cervical narrowing (stenosis) and
bleeding. This procedure is used most commonly for treating dysplasia, including
severe dysplasia.
Cold knife cone biopsy (conization)
Cone biopsy (conization) was once the
primary procedure used to treat cervical dysplasia,
but the other methods have now replaced it for this purpose. However, when a
physician cannot view the entire area that needs to be seen during colposcopy, a
cone biopsy is typically recommended. It is also recommended if additional
tissue sampling is needed to obtain more information regarding the diagnosis.
This technique allows the size and shape of the sampling to be tailored. Cone
biopsy has a slightly higher risk of cervical complications than the other
treatments, and these can include postoperative bleeding in 5% of women and
narrowing of the cervix.
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs,
are infections that are transmitted during any type of sexual exposure,
including intercourse (vaginal or anal), oral sex, and the sharing of sexual
devices, such as vibrators. Women can contract all of the STDs, but may have no symptoms, or have different symptoms than men do.
Cervical cancer is cancer of the entrance to the womb (uterus). Regular pelvic exams and Pap testing can detect precancerous changes in the cervix. Precancerous changes in the cervix may be treated with cryosurgery, cauterization, or laser surgery. The most common symptom of cancer of the cervix is abnormal bleeding.
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are infections that are transmitted during any
type of sexual exposure, including intercourse (vaginal or anal), oral sex, and
the sharing of sexual devices, such as vibrators. Although treatment exists for many STDs, others currently are
usually incurable, such as those caused by HIV, HPV, hepatitis B and C, and HHV-8.
There are a number of different methods of birth control to include: barrier methods, IUDs, hormonal methods, natural methods, and surgical sterilization. Birth control methods can be reversible or permanent. In simple terms, all methods of birth control are based on either preventing a man's sperm from reaching and entering a woman's egg (fertilization) or preventing the fertilized egg from implanting in the woman's uterus (her womb) and starting to grow.
When you are pregnant, many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can be especially harmful to you and your baby. These STDs include herpes, HIV/AIDS, genital warts (HPV), hepatitis B, chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. Symptoms include bumps, sores, warts, swelling, itching, or redness in the genital region. Treatment of STDs while pregnant depends on how far along you are in the pregnancy and the progression of the infection.
Disease prevention in women includes screening tests that are a basic part of prevention medicine. All screening tests
are commonly available through your general doctor. Some specialized tests may be available elsewhere.
Womens Health RSS
Healthy Living Tips
This site complies with the