This is obviously a TMI thread, so hoping only people with some experience of the two procedures, or someone in the health profession who knows of these procedures will be able to help me on this one. It's really embarassing but its really upset me and I don't know what I should do if I should do anything at all...

Basically I had an appointment for a colcoscopy. It has been about a month since I found out I needed one and a month ago I got a very basic leaflet outlining the procedure, most of which I'd forgotten by the time I had my appointment today. During the procedure I was really uncomfortable and trying not to think about what was happening, but remember thinking "I don't remember reading about this in the leaflet" but doubted myself too much to say anything. It's only as they sent me packing with a leaflet on what they'd just done that I realised I'd been given a LLETZ procedure instead. My basic research has suggested that this was the wrong procedure as I do not have the problems that a LLETZ is used to treat. A LLETZ is far more invasive than a colcoscopy also and requires local anaesthetic. Lots more repurcussions too, such as having to go 4 weeks without sex (as opposed to 1 week with a colcoscopy). I'm pretty certain that they've performed the wrong procedure on me and I'm actually devestated. I feel like I shouldn't be as upset as I am though... I can't find anything on the internet about my specific problem and don't know what to do next about it all.. any help?

Did you sign a consent form? I'd read through that - you might have consented for an LLETZ to be done during the coloscopy if necessary.

And totally ask the doc. I am always asking loads of questions if I have to go to hospital for some procedure or other. The docs don't always like it, but they have a duty to inform you.

Medical people here will no doubt have more knowledge. Ask Red Fraggle - she probably knows.

(According to my googling, LLETZ is called LEEP in the US. Just so US people can know what you mean and give any info that they might know.)

Really NOT my area of medicine. I have only watched a colposcopy once, as a med student, about 7 years ago!

I would suspect that like Estella said, the LLETZ was performed along with the colposcopy (the colposcopy just looks at the cervix... the LLETZ means taking a biopsy whilst looking at it under colposcopy). I'm only guessing though as is impossible to say since I wasn't there. I think it's unlikely it was the 'wrong procedure' though, as I don't think LLETZ can be done without doing colposcopy. I don't know about the advice given post-LLETZ, but you could phone your doctor and ask if there's anything specific you need to do.

when in doubt about a procedure that has been done on you - you should never hesitate to call the doc's office that did it. As even red fraggle a doc amongst us here on bloop cant say for sure which your referring doc ordered for you to have done

ahh seeing what red says - (tired this AM was reading colonoscopy) I agree with what she says... the other issue you're going to bump up against is the diff between procedures in the UK and US. As its very rare for a colcoscopy to be done here without the biopsy part. They didnt use a local with me (allergic to both classes of locals) but they took two from me during mine. One was with tweezer looking utensil the other was with something that looked much like Mascara brush. But I was told to wait 4 weeks til I had sex and bleed and cramped quite a bit a few days after

I'd agree, I would think that most colposcopies here involve a biopsy, as usually it is done when someone has had an abnormal smear, so as to take a better sample and identify potentially pre-cancerous cells.

On a complete side note, I've always wondered... was your allergy to local anaesthetics confirmed with skin prick testing? Genuine local anaesthetic allergy is almost unheard of (but not impossible), and most of the reports of local anaesthetic allergy are actually due to adrenaline being given with the local anaesthetic.

yes they did allergy testing as they assumed it was the preservative that is used. I had a mild reaction to the novacaine, lidocaine was tried next and within 5 min they were giving me epi. I guess there are 2 different classes - after my reaction to lidocaine they made the call not to do any further testing to assume that since during the testing was my first exposure to novacaine the next time I would have a more severe reaction. We do know that there is a dental local that starts with a "z" (its in my records just dont have it handy) that they were able to use during a root canal that caused a desat of my O2 but nothing more serious. But due to the reaction to carbucaine (sometimes called mepocaine) and lidocaine and the mild reaction to novacaine to declare me allergic to both classes.

(side note there has also been one time in the ER since the testing that the lab tech gave me lidocaine while trying to start an IV which also caused shock and the need for epi)

Goodness, how unusual. Have you ever had levobupicaine? (Trade name chirocaine in the UK)

I don't know any local anaesthestics starting with the letter z, but it could be an American trade name and we use generic names.

Levobupivicaine that should say.

I dont think so, why do you ask? Zorcaine is also known as Articaine. thats the one they used during the root canal and only saw desat of O2 but nothing else

though someone recently said there is now a 3rd class that is plant based?

Because that's the one we use for most things (along with bupivicaine and lignocaine). I've never heard of zorcaine.

I am thinking the same thing as the others. Is it possible the doctor performed the LEEP after finding abnormal tissue during your colposcopy? Or perhaps he just took some of the tissue for a biopsy? If you are concerned I would call the clinic and ask.

Hmm. Possible. I signed nothing and whilst its a bit hazy to me I don't remember colcoscopy being mentioned... I probably should have asked during the procedure, but it didn't occur to me, I was just trying to detach from the entire experience at the time... it is possible, but if thats the case then surely information should have been given to me before... I'm going to ring them this morning. Sorry for the TMI question, wish there was a delete button this morning!

If they were looking at your cervix, you had a colposcopy. That is all that colposcopy means. If they took a biopsy/sample, they may also have done a LLETZ.

(And it's colPoscopy, not colCospocy... just if you're looking up more information, best to have the correct spelling!)