Question: I'm a 53 year old female who has been menopausal for about 4 years. I saw a gynecologist yesterday for a routine exam (after not doing so for several years). She found a red (filli-like) polyp in the cervical. The polyp had previously NOT been bleeding, and I had felt no symptoms. But it bled only when the gynecologist touched it during the exam. Because of the bleeding, she strongly recommended that I have it removed - preferably within a week. Because I've never had any sexual activity before, she also recommended that to avoid agonizing pain, I should have the polyp surgically removed under general anesthesia. I've observed that the bleeding seemed minimal, and seemed to have stopped quite soon after the clinic visit. (I've observed no bleeding at all for the past 20 hours have passed.) Because of this minimal bleeding, and the absence of previously observed symptoms, I would like to seek a second opinion to ask if this surgical removal of the polyp is absolutely necessary? What would happen in the long run if I don't have it removed? How long can I wait before having it removed. (3 months, 1 years or more?) Also, is general anesthesia really necessary? Would a local anesthesia be sufficient? Is there any natural alternative to surgery? Thank you.

Dear Dr. Ramarajapalli,

Thank you for your reply to my previous message. When I asked my gynecologist whether I could do the surgery under local anesthesia, she was quite adamant that I would need to do it under general anesthesia. What do you think may be the reason for her insisting that I should do it under general anesthesia? Should I look for another gynecologist who may be willing/able to do it with local anesthesia? Should I ensure that whoever is going to perform surgery on me will not merely twist off the polyp, but will ensure that the base of the poly is totally scrap off? After surgery, how long is the recovery time? Because I won't have any family member with me, should I request for an overnight stay at the hospital? What are the side-effects and inconveniences (e.g. with showering or cleaning that area after going to the toilet) that one can expect after the cervical-polyp-removal surgery? Regarding the timing of the surgery, do you think it'll be okay for me to wait for one to two months until I can return to my own country to have the surgery? Thank you.