tlsaegesser

The brushes I was referring to are the plastic instruments that the Dr. uses to collect the cells from the cervix. The company that makes the Surepath pap smear kits has a web site that is informative and it has good pictures of the brushes as well as info on how the test is done and what the results mean. I have enclosed the link for that site. http://www.bd.com/tripath/products/surepath/freemont_smith.asp There is also an interesting site http://www.essure.com that explains an in office tubal ligation procedure. We have done several of these and they are extremely interesting. There are many aspects of working in a gyn office that I love. It is a very diverse job that includes a lot of pt. education and it also involves a great deal of internal medicine as well as gyn. Many women have no other Dr. beside their gyn so they rely on them for every aspect of their healthcare and since most gyn Dr.'s do surgery as well you get to work with post surgical pt.'s and issues as well. One thing is for sure it is never boring. I hope that is helpful.

I am sorry I guess I didn't give you a step by step. First the doctor will insert the speculum and visualize the cervix. Next he will have you hand him the paddle or broom depending on his preference to remove cells from the outside of cervix and lady partsl wall. Then an endocervix brush will be used to get some cells from inside the cervix. You will hold a bottle of preservative labeled with the pt. info. and then break off the tips of the brushes and send them in the preservative to the pathologist. Next the Dr. will remove the speculum and do the actual pelvic exam.

I have worked in an ob/gyn office for three years and of course every office is different. Most doctors offices are using a method of pap smears called sure-path. It is a great improvement over previous methods. There are no slides to prepare and actually no leg work at all. The tips of the brushes, paddles, or brooms just break off and are sent in the bottle of preservative to the lab. Women's health is a wonderful and rewarding field. Good luck.