Cervical polyp


What should you pay attention to after the removal of a cervical polyp?
After undergoing cervical polyp removal surgery, women should first pay attention to the cleanliness of the perineum. It is advisable to abstain from sexual activity, tub baths, and swimming for a month to avoid causing infection of the surgical site. Additionally, it is important to observe the condition of vaginal discharge, such as the amount of vaginal bleeding, its duration, and whether there are any abnormal secretions. One month after the cervical polyp removal surgery, it is necessary to visit the hospital for a follow-up to check the healing of the surgical site. Since cervical polyps can recur easily, further check-ups should be conducted within six months to a year to monitor if there are any signs of recurrence of the cervical polyps.


Is it okay not to have surgery for cervical polyps?
When women have cervical polyps, surgical treatment is required regardless of the size of the polyps, and not undergoing surgery is not an option. Firstly, the texture of cervical polyps is relatively fragile, which can easily lead to bleeding upon contact, such as bleeding after intercourse. Some women with vaginal inflammation can infect the cervical polyps, leading to inflammatory secretions, such as purulent secretions or secretions containing blood. If cervical polyps are not surgically removed, they may continue to grow, and they have a characteristic of being multiple. For instance, the occurrence of multiple cervical polyps can also affect the normal menstrual cycle of women. Some women with cervical cancer or endometrial cancer can also present polyp-like growths, and from the appearance, it is not possible to distinguish whether the growths are malignant or benign. Therefore, generally, once cervical polyps are found, they should be surgically removed, and a histological examination should be performed after surgery to rule out the possibility of malignant changes.


How to completely cure recurrent cervical polyps?
The current clinical understanding is that the cause of cervical polyps is mostly due to local inflammation in the cervix or vagina, which leads to epithelial hyperplasia and subsequently the formation of cervical polyps. Thus, as long as cervical and vaginal inflammation is present, there is a possibility of recurrence of cervical polyps. Therefore, to thoroughly eradicate cervical polyps, it is recommended that patients pay attention to the health and hygiene of the reproductive system. Patients are advised to keep the perineum clean and dry, undergo regular gynecological exams, and check for any vaginal or cervical inflammation. If inflammation is present, timely treatment is recommended.


Is cervical polyp serious?
Cervical polyps are not serious, and the majority of them are caused by chronic cervical inflammation. Cervical polyps can generally be removed in an outpatient setting at a hospital, and the removed polyp should be sent for pathology. The vast majority of these polyps are benign, with only a very small minority having the potential to become malignant. Therefore, having cervical polyps is generally not a serious issue. The polyps can be removed and appropriate anti-inflammatory treatment can be administered thereafter. Most cervical polyps are not problematic. If there is any concern, one can also undergo cervical cancer screening, which generally involves a TCT (ThinPrep Cytologic Test) and HPV (Human Papillomavirus) virus testing. These tests help identify the presence of cervical cancer and its precursors. If the cervical cancer screening shows no issues, and it's simply a case of cervical canal polyps, it is not serious, and removal can be performed in an outpatient setting in the hospital.


What should I do if cervical polyps keep recurring?
Women with cervical polyps, although benign, have a characteristic of recurring. When this happens, it is important to first identify if there are any factors promoting their recurrence, such as recurrent vaginal inflammation in women. This inflammation can affect the cervix and cause recurrent cervical polyps. At this point, it is advisable to first conduct a vaginal discharge test to determine the type of vaginal inflammation and treat it with medication appropriate for the specific type of vaginal inflammation. Once the vaginal inflammation is treated, the recurrence of cervical polyps can be reduced. Additionally, for unexplained recurrent cervical polyps, it is necessary to regularly follow up and check, trying to ensure early detection and removal of cervical polyps to prevent an increase in size or number of polyps.


How long will it take for bleeding from a cervical polyp to stop?
Cervical polyps generally cause bloody discharge or light bleeding after intercourse. Such bleeding usually does not last long. Therefore, cervical polyps generally require a hospital visit for outpatient surgery to remove the polyps. After the removal, pathology tests are generally conducted and if there are no issues, it is usually not a big concern. Having cervical polyps generally does not cause prolonged bleeding. If irregular bleeding occurs, further examination such as endocrine testing at the hospital is necessary. Additionally, cervical cancer screening should be conducted. It is essential to identify the cause of the irregular bleeding and then treat accordingly based on the examination results. Isolated cervical polyps will not cause heavy bleeding; they only cause light bleeding after intercourse or bloody discharge, which is minor bleeding.


Do you need to be hospitalized for cervical polyp surgery?
Currently, surgical treatment for cervical polyps does not require hospitalization. Generally, surgeries that require hospitalization are more extensive and are performed only after comprehensive assessments by various specialists and anesthesiologists. Cervical polyp removal surgery causes minimal trauma, is relatively simple, and has little impact on the patient’s overall condition. Therefore, it is not necessary for patients to be hospitalized for this procedure. It is currently recommended that cervical polyp removal be performed in the gynecological outpatient surgical room, allowing patients to go home to recuperate after the surgery.


Can cervical polyps heal themselves?
Cervical polyps can sometimes heal on their own. If the cervical polyp is small or has a thin stalk, there is a possibility that it might become necrotic and fall off, but this scenario is relatively rare. Most cervical polyps require surgical treatment. However, the surgery for cervical polyps is relatively simple; the stalk of the polyp can be destroyed using laser or radiofrequency, causing it to fall off. Additionally, if cervical polyps are not treated, they might cause irregular vaginal bleeding, and there is a possibility of malignant transformation, although the rate of malignancy is quite low.


Can cervical polyps become cancerous?
Cervical polyps can become cancerous, but the rate of malignancy is very low, around 1%. Cervical polyps are caused by chronic inflammation of the cervix, which leads to the hyperplasia of local connective tissue, forming pink, tongue-shaped growths that sometimes have a stalk and can bleed upon contact. This condition is caused by inflammation, but if there is also an HPV virus infection, there is a potential for cancerous changes. Therefore, the causes of cervical cancer and cervical polyps are different. Cervical cancer is caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), while cervical polyps are caused by inflammation. If cervical polyps are combined with an HPV infection, cancerous changes might only occur if the infection persists for more than two years.


Is cervical polyp not very serious?
In most cases, cervical polyps in women are benign lesions of the cervix caused by chronic inflammation. If the polyp is small, typically the clinical symptoms are not severe, or there may even be no symptoms at all. Some women might experience a small amount of vaginal bleeding or blood-streaked discharge after intercourse or a gynecological examination. When the size of the cervical polyp increases, the clinical manifestations can be more severe, such as bloody discharge or bleeding after intercourse. In very rare cases, regardless of the size, cervical polyps may be cancerous. In such cases, it is necessary to remove them promptly and perform a histopathological examination to determine whether the lesion is benign or malignant.