Cervix Cryosurgery

Why the Procedure is Performed

This procedure may be done to:

• Treat cervicitis
• Treat cervical dysplasia

Your provider will help you to decide if cryosurgery is right for your condition.

Risks

Risks for any surgery are:

• Bleeding
• Infection

Cryosurgery may cause scarring of the cervix, but most of the time it is very minor. More severe scarring may make it more difficult to get pregnant, or cause increased cramping with menstrual periods.

After the Procedure

You might feel lightheaded right after the procedure. If this happens, lie down flat on the examination table so that you do not faint. This feeling should go away in a few minutes.

You can resume almost all of your normal activities right after surgery.

For 2 to 3 weeks after the surgery, you will have a lot of watery discharge caused by the shedding (sloughing) of the dead cervical tissue.

You may need to avoid sexual intercourse and using tampons for several weeks.

Avoid douching, because douching can cause severe infections in the uterus and tubes.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Your provider should do a repeat Pap test or biopsy at a follow-up visit to make sure that all abnormal tissue was destroyed.

You may need more frequent Pap smears for the first 2 years after cryosurgery for cervical dysplasia.

References

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Practice Bulletin No. 140: management of abnormal cervical cancer screening test results and cervical cancer precursors. Obstet Gynecol. 2013;122(6):1338-1367. PMID: 24264713 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24264713.

Lewis MR, Pfeninger JL. Cyrotherapy of the cervix. In: Pfenninger JL, Fowlder GC, eds. Pfenninger & Fowler's Procedures for Primary Care. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2011:chap 138.

Noller KL. Intraepithelial neoplasia of the lower genitaltract (cervix, vulva): etiology, screening, diagnostic techniques. In: Lentz GM, Lobo RA, Gershenson DM, Katz VL, eds. Comprehensive Gynecology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2012:chap 28.