Cervical punch biopsy is an outpatient procedure, usually performed without any anesthesia. If the cup of the biopsy forceps is not very small, the chunk of tissue removed leaves behind a small crater which keeps on bleeding. It stops by itself in some cases. It may stop on pressure with a folded piece of gauze in some cases. But usually the bleeding starts when the gauze is removed to see if it has achieved the desired effect. Electrocauterization is a possibility that is quite effective, but not very comfortable for an non anesthetized patient. It has its attendant complications too. Placing a hemostatic stitch is not desirable in an outpatient setting. Electrocauterization and a stitch are not often possible in the outpatient setting. I use a sponge holding forceps for this purpose. I apply the forceps to the bleeding site and keep it applied for a few minutes. The patient does not experience any pain once it is applied. Its flat surface compresses the bleeding vessels and achieves their thrombosis, so that there is no further bleeding after the removal of the forceps. The instrument is atraumatic, so there is no risk of damage to the surrounding cervical tissue. It saves on suture material too, which is important in a resource poor country. It does away with the need for an electrocautery, which also is important in a resource poor country.
