Basu, Anju

Definitions

Colposcopy is a procedure in which a lighted magnifying instrument (a colposcope) is used to help examine the tissues of the vulva, vagina and cervix. Colposcopy is often used to check potentiallycancerous areas, usually after a Pap smear test has indicated a possible problem. During the procedure a biopsy may be performed to take a sample of tissue of an abnormal area. Colposcopy also can be used to detect inflammatory or infectious changes, harmless growths, and injuries to the vulva, vagina and cervix.moreGynaecology is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the female reproductive system, including the uterus, ovaries and vagina, and associated organs andstructures. Gynaecologists treat a wide range of conditions, including cancer and pre-cancerous diseases of the reproductive organs including ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, vagina and vulva; urinary incontinence; painful, heavy or absent menstrual periods; infertility; prolapse of pelvic organs; and infections of the vagina, cervix and uterus.moreLaparoscopic surgery, also known as ‘keyhole surgery’, is carried out with the aid of a camera inserted into the abdomen or pelvis. A small incision is made in the abdominal wall through which alaparoscope, a flexible lighted tube with a camera attached, is inserted so that structures within the abdomen and pelvis can be examined. The abdominal cavity is made more visible by distending it with an absorbable gas, usually carbon dioxide. A number of major and minor surgeries may be carried out. A variety of tubes and long, narrow instruments can be inserted through the same incision in the skin, or via other small incisions, facilitating a number of procedures without the need for a large surgical incision. The surgeon uses these instruments to manipulate, cut and sew tissue. A number of procedures can be performed laparoscopically, including gallbladder removal (laparoscopic cholecystectomy), oesophageal surgery (laparoscopic fundoplication), colon surgery (laparoscopic colectomy), and surgery on the stomach and spleen. Most patients receive general anaesthetic during the procedure.moreUrogynaecology involves treatment of women with pelvic floor disorders such as urinary or faecal incontinence (leakage of urine or faeces) and prolapse (bulging, sagging or falling) of the vagina,bladder and/or the uterus (womb). Urinary incontinence is a very common condition affecting at least 10–20 per cent of women under age 65 and over half of women over the age of 65. Prolapse can occur quickly, but usually happens over the course of many years. Prolapse and incontinence frequently occur together.moreHysteroscopic surgery or hysteroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure for viewing the lining and interior of the uterus (womb). A flexible visualising scope is inserted through the vagina and intothe cervical opening to view the uterus, including the openings to the fallopian tubes, as well as to examine the cervix, cervical canal and vagina. Hysteroscopy may be performed to diagnose or treat abnormalities of the uterus or cervix. It is used to evaluate a range of problems, including: abnormal vaginal bleeding; retained placenta after a birth; scarring, or adhesions, from previous uterine surgery or instrumentation; and polyps or fibroid tumours inside the cervical canal or the uterus. During hysteroscopy samples of tissue may be taken for analysis (biopsy). Hysteroscopy can also be used to perform surgical sterilisation.more