Abnormal/Irregular Cells

When I met with the nurse practitioner in Ottawa in December 2012, she said I had three tests to get done before surgery:

(1) final follow-up report from sleep study

(2)  abdominal  ultrasound

(3)  pap smear.      I previously (9 years ago) had abnormal cervical cells which had since come back normal over the years.  She said having the surgery creates a "breeding ground" in your body for cancer to develop if it is dormant.  So off I went to get the pap smear.  My family doctor's office called me this evening to advise that the latest pap smear came back with results of "abnormal/irregular cells".  I was told they would repeat a pap smear in 6 months.  I asked if I could get a biopsy done because otherwise my bariatric surgery would be delayed by 6 months.  They said no, the process is to get the pap smear repeated in 6 months.   So disappointed to get the news. 

 

 Was anyone else asked to get a pap smear done before surgery and had similar results and surgery delayed as a result?

Hi there

I have never heard of having to have a pap done for bariatric surgery. I had abnormal/pre cancerous cells back in the 90's and nobody ever mentioned anything when I had surgery.

Strange

Sucks that it may delay surgery

 

Keep your chin up

I'm no doctor, but what the heck does a pap smear have to do with WLS surgery?  Once again, different protocols at different centers.  I wish they would all follow the same procedures.

I wasn't ever asked about abnormal pap smears when I applied for my RnY.  I did have them in the mid 80's but had a complete hysterectomy in the mid-90's, but that was because an ovary grew a huge non-cancerous cyst called a terratoma, so the works came out.. but prior to the hysterectomy, my pap smears had come back ok.  Weird you should be asked and scarier that you are told the WLS  surgery causes a breeding ground for cancer...never heard of that before...

Thanks ladies for your replies. The explanation
I was given at the Ottawa centre by the nurse is that your immune system is very low after surgery. Even my family doctor was surprised that I was asked to get a pap smear done as a requirement for surgery. I don't know if it is to keep me in the waiting que longer but I was told in December that it looked like it would be approx 6 monts to surgery. Now I don't know what will happen when the nurse sees my report with irregular cells noted.

I had irregular cells on my pap smear once a few years ago. My GP referred me to a gynocologist who does what they call a colposcopy......they stick a camera up your hoo hoo so they can actually look at your cervix up close lol. I wonder if you should ask for a referral for a colposcopy. And ya......completely weird that you were even asked about abnormal pap results at all. I certainly was never asked. Its not something I would even have thought to inclulde in my medical history because the issue resolved itself.

 

Good luck and I hope you get some answers soon

i did not have to get one done prior to WLS, that's weird. I do know that my daughter is in the running to give her cousin a kidney, and had to have a recent one, as part of the workup.

"She said having the surgery creates a "breeding ground" in your body for cancer to develop if it is dormant" Immune system is challenged by the surgery for sure. And it was who that told you this? the secretary?

Talk to a DOCTOR about this, Preferably your WLS surgeon. Don't accept what you are being told as gospel because it just doesn't all sound .......correct

 I'd go to my gynecologist to get it sorted out.. . 'family doctor's office"--the secretary? no ...no no  no.. AND if your family dr refuses to get  you a referral to a gynecologist, fire his/her ass.  family docs are general docs, NOT specialists in those areas.. unnerstand?

Go to gynecologist.. ignore secretary. Not that secretaries aren't a huge wealth of info but really .. ...she's screwing with your future of having WLS and talking about something that really, only a surgeon or specialist should be yacking to you about.

Don't accept "No the process is..............

Your body,,, YOUR RIGHTS!...

 

*steps off the fire and brimstone pedestal*

To clarify for you:   The nurse practitioner in Ottawa at the Bariatric  WLS centre is the one who told me that having surgery creates a breeding ground for cancer.  That same  nurse practitioner was the one who advised I must get the pap smear done as one of the tests in preparation for weight loss surgery.  I had irregular cells nine years ago and had a coloscopy done back then which came back normal.

My family doctor will be having me back in 6 months to get a pap smear repeated.  My family doctor is great.  Based on her medical advise (which I agree with and trust)  is that it is best to wait for 6 months and get a repeat pap smear rather than going through a "coloscopy" or "biopsy" right now just to satisfy the Ottawa WLS centre.   I was upset at first because she wouldn't send me for a biopsy right away just to satisfy the Ottawa weight loss clinic nurse practitioner.

My whole concern here is that I don't understand why the weight loss centre at Ottawa is telling me I must have a clear pap test result before I get surgery.   I don't want my WLS to be postponed for 6 months or longer because of this.   I haven't hear of anyone else on this forum being asked to get a pap smear as a pre-surgery test requirement.

My guess is that your abnormal results from 9 years ago were disclosed to them at the Bariatric Centre either by your referring doctor or by yourself so they are just making sure that they had a recent pap smear on file.  It may not delay anything as you obviously had other ones that were not abnormal in those 9 years and usually the protocol is to wait and do another in 6 months.  Hopefully this doesn't delay you.