Best Doctors in India for Pap Smear Test
Best Hospitals in India for Pap Smear Test
- City: Bengaluru, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Fortis Hospital Bannerghatta, Bengaluru was established in 2006.
- The hospital is a 276 bedded multi-specialty tertiary care facility.
- The hospital specializes in cutting-edge medical technology and dedicated patient care services.
- The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies like trans-radial angioplasty, trans-abdominal cardiac surgery, and computerized TKR navigation surgery.
- The hospital provides specialty medical services in cardiology, cardiac surgery, orthopedics, neurology, neuro-surgery, GI, and Minimal Access Surgery (MAS).
- City: Chennai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Fortis Malar was established in 1992 and was formerly known as Malar Hospital.
- The hospital specializes in cutting-edge medical technology and dedicated patient care services.
- The hospital is multi-specialty, tertiary care facility with 180 beds.
- The hospital offers comprehensive medical care in specialties such as cardiology, cardio-thoracic surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, nephrology, gynecology, gastroenterology, urology, pediatrics, and diabetes.
- City: New Delhi, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Established in 1996, Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute is one of the top hospitals in the NCR region, as well as one of the top facilities in India for gastroenterology. The hospital is one of South Asia’s first institutes in medical and surgical treatment for diseases related to digestion.
- The hospital is equipped with state-of-the art facilities coupled with the latest equipment as well as renowned consultants from various parts of India as well as other parts of the world.
- City: New Delhi, India
Hospital Highlights:
- State-of-the-art technology and devoted healthcare professionals have been brought together under one roof at Venkateshwar Hospital to provide genuine medical care. The hospital’s professionals work together as a team to deliver the best possible treatment to their patients, using the most sophisticated equipment and information technology.
- Venkateshwar Hospital’s mission is to attain global excellence in healthcare by employing evidence-based, ethical clinical practices and cutting-edge technology by a team of highly skilled experts.
- City: New Delhi, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi is known to provide the latest medical procedures with the latest technology in all of its units.
- The hospital has a team of reputed doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals that ensure that patients receive quality care at affordable costs.
- Staffed with a team of highly qualified doctors, dedicated nurses, and paramedical and non-medical staff, the hospital aims to lead in healthcare delivery, medical education, training, and research.
- As per the vision of the founder, the hospital also provides free treatment to the economically weaker sections of society.
- Sir Ganga Ram Hospital also provides training to young doctors under the Diplomate in National Board(DNB) program. The DNB program at the hospital was started in 1984 and it is known for currently running the maximum number of DNB specialties in the country. It also has the distinction of having the first bone bank in India.
- City: Kerala, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Established in 2019, Apollo Adlux Hospital is the first Apollo Hospital in Kerala and the 73rd hospital owned by Apollo Group in India. With the state’s most advanced, comprehensive healthcare infrastructure and cutting-edge technologies, Apollo Adlux Hospital stands as an example of medical excellence in Kerala.
- With over 34 multi-specialty departments, the hospital believes in providing the best quality treatment to its patients at affordable rates, ensuring comfort at their difficult times.
- The 300-bed hospital is managed by a team of highly qualified and experienced experts who delivers exceptional hospitality to their patients and treats them with great compassion.
- With its affiliation with the Apollo Hospitals Group, the hospital aims in providing patients with top-notch healthcare services while also serving communities in Kerala.
- The hospital has good railway and road connections, and is conveniently close to Cochin International Airport.
- City: Gurugram, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Situated near DLF Cyber City, Gurugram, Narayana Superspecialty Hospital is one of the top medical facilities in the Delhi NCR region, catering to the needs of the people. Known for its commitment to quality medical care and patient service, the hospital is a state-of-the-art facility with planned and well-equipped sections, which includes a spacious OPD area as well as comfortable patient rooms.
- It is the closest super-specialty hospital from Indira Gandhi International Airport towards Gurugram, and also the nearest super specialty hospital from DLF Cyber City. It is also close to major residential areas in Gurugram.
- It is part of the renowned Narayana Health Group. Established in 2000, by Dr. Devi Shetty, a renowned cardiac surgeon, it has grown to be one fo India’s leading healthcare groups.
- City: Noida, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Fortis Hospital, Noida, stands as one of the oldest and most trusted healthcare institutions in the region, setting a benchmark for comprehensive medical care.
- As the second mega hub hospital in the Fortis Healthcare Group, Fortis Hospital, Noida, upholds a legacy of trust among more than 1.2 million patients. By integrating top-tier professionals with cutting-edge technology, the hospital delivers superior treatment across various medical disciplines.
- Specializing in advanced Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Kidney and Liver Transplant Programmes, Fortis Hospital, Noida has successfully performed over 1,500 transplants, solidifying its reputation as a leader in specialized medical interventions.
Pap Smear
Pap smear also termed as Pap test, is a procedure for testing cervical cancer in women. It involves collecting cells from the cervix, which is the lower narrow end of the uterus, which lies at the top of the vagina.
Detecting the cancer early on, with a Pap smear, gives one a greater chance of curing it. This procedure can also detect changes in your cervical cells that may suggest cancer developing in the near future. A Pap smear can easily help you detect any abnormal cells, which is your first step in stopping the possible development of cervical cancer.
Purpose
The purpose of Pap smear is to screen for cervical cancer.
Regular Pap smears are recommended for women every three years from the age of 21. For women who are HIV-positive or those having a weakened immune system from chemotherapy or organ transplant, it is needed more frequently.
This procedure is usually done in conjunction with a pelvic exam. For women who are older than the age of 30, the Pap test can be combined with a test for human Papillomavirus (HPV) – a common sexually transmitted infection that can lead to cause cervical cancer. The HPV test may be done instead of a Pap smear in a few cases.
Women who are aged 30 and older may consider Pap testing every five years if the procedure is combined with HPV testing. Or they can also consider HPV testing instead of the Pap test.
Your doctor may recommend more frequent Pap smears, regardless of your age, if you have certain risk factors such as:
- A Pap smear that showed precancerous cells or a diagnosis of cervical cancer
- HIV infection
- Exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) before birth
- A history of smoking
- Weakened immune system due to chemotherapy, organ transplant or chronic corticosteroid use
You should discuss the benefits and risks of Pap smears with your doctor and decide what’s best for you based on your risk factors.
There are certain situations in which a woman and her doctor can end Pap testing such as:
After a total hysterectomy: After a total hysterectomy, surgical removal of the uterus including the cervix, you can ask your doctor if undergoing Pap smears is still required.
You will likely be able to discontinue Pap smears, if your hysterectomy was performed for a noncancerous condition, such as uterine fibroids.
However, if your hysterectomy was for a precancerous or cancerous condition of the cervix, it is likely that your doctor will recommend continuing routine Pap testing.
Older age: It is generally agreed by doctors that women can choose to consider stopping routine Pap testing at the age of 65 if their previous tests for cervical cancer have been negative.
You can discuss your options with your doctor and together you will be able to decide what’s best for you based on your risk factors. Your doctor might recommend you to continue with the tests if you are sexually active.
Preparation
You should follow these tips prior to your test for ensuring that your Pap smear is most effective:
- Avoid intercourse, douching as well as any vaginal medicines or spermicidal foams, creams or jellies for a minimum of two days before the Pap smear, as these may cause abnormal cells to be obscured or washed away.
- It is better if you don’t schedule your Pap smear during your menstrual period.
During the Procedure
A Pap smear can be performed in a doctor’s office and it takes just a few minutes. You might be asked to fully undress or only from the waist down. You will need to lie down on your back on an exam table with your knees bent.
First, your doctor will be gently inserting an instrument called a speculum into the vagina. This holds the walls of your vagina apart so that your doctor is easily able to see your cervix. You might experience a sensation of pressure in the pelvic area while the speculum is being inserted.
Then your doctor will need to take samples of your cervical cells with the use of a soft brush and a flat scraping device which is called a spatula. This usually does not hurt.
After the Procedure
After the procedure is complete, you can resume your normal activities without any restrictions.
Depending on the type of procedure you’re undergoing, your doctor will transfer the cell sample collected from your cervix into a container that holds a special liquid to preserve the sample. He/she might also use a glass slide.
Then the samples are transferred to a laboratory where they are examined under a microscope in order to look for characteristics in the cells which can indicate cancer or a precancerous condition.
After this, the samples are transferred to a laboratory. Here they are examined under a microscope to look for characteristics in the cell that can indicate cancer or a precancerous condition.
You can ask your doctor regarding how long you will need to wait before the results of your test are out.
Results
The results of your Pap smear can either be normal or abnormal.
Normal Pap smear- If the results are normal, this means that there were no abnormal cells identified. The normal result is also termed as negative. If your result is normal, you won’t be needing this test again for at least three years again.
Abnormal Pap smear- However, if the test results are abnormal, you need not worry, as this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have cancer. It just means that there are cells in your cervix which are abnormal and some of them may be precancerous.
Abnormal cells are of several levels:
- atypia
- mild
- moderate
- severe dysplasia
- carcinoma in situ
Milder abnormal cells are generally more common as compared to severe abnormalities.
Depending on your results, your doctor might recommend:
- increasing the frequency of your Pap smears
- getting a closer look at your cervical tissue using a procedure termed as Colposcopy
During a colposcopy exam, your doctor will take the help of light and use magnification to see the vaginal and cervical tissues more clearly. In some cases, they can also take a sample of your cervical tissue in a procedure termed as a biopsy.