When is leep procedure necessary

All of these treatments are showing to have more than a ninety percent survival rate for lesions that are precancerous of the uterine cervix. Laser therapy or laser ablation is a treatment that will destroy abnormal cervical cells. These abnormal cells are destroyed to allow healthy cells to grow back in their place. This procedure is performed in a hospital or outpatient clinic with a local anesthetic.

Cone biopsy is a more extensive form of cervical biopsy and received its name from the cone-shaped wedge of tissue that is removed from your cervix. This tissue sample is sent to the lab and studied under a microscope.

The tissue taken during a cone biopsy is abnormal and located high in the cervical canal. Cryocautery is a treatment using liquid nitrogen freezing gas to destroy precancerous cells on the cervix. Once these precancerous cells are removed, your body can replace them with healthy, new cells. Cryocautery involves freezing your cervix with a metal probe. The probe is used from one to two minutes to complete the freeze. This procedure can also be used to treat mildly abnormal cells on the cervix.

Cryocautery or freezing of the cancerous cells is performed under a procedure called cryotherapy. The treatment is applied much like LEEP as you lie down on the exam table, and the doctor inserts a speculum to open the walls of your vagina. A tool called a cryoprobe is used to hold your cervix for a few minutes gently, and it will freeze your cells quickly.

This procedure is typically repeated twice with a few minutes rest in-between applications. The whole process should last about five minutes. Human papillomavirus HPV is a virus that is spread through sexual contact. This virus will invade your cells in your vagina and cervix and can be cleared in most women without any special treatment, as in many cases, the infected cells are shed from the vagina and cervix. In some cases, however, the virus does not clear and persists in some of the cells of the cervix.

If HPV persists in the cervix, it can change in appearance when viewed under a microscope and can cause cervical cancer. There is an HPV vaccine that has been recently approved by the FDA that is able to prevent infection and is for women who have never been infected. The vaccine has to be given before a person becomes sexually active. If these abnormal cells were detected through your Pap test, you would then most likely have been scheduled for a colposcopy and a biopsy of your cervix.

If the biopsy then showed abnormal cells that suggested to your doctor there was cancer present or showed cervical cancer cells that were not invading deeper tissue of your cervix; the doctor would want to get rid of those cells. The human papillomavirus HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, with almost fourteen million new cases diagnosed each year in the U. There are different forms of this infection, and some can cause genital warts, while others are responsible for cancers.

While there is no cure for this virus, the symptoms resulting from it can be treated. Genital warts, one of the results of this infection can be treated with medication to remove the warts. A chemical, podophyllin, which your doctor can apply, will remove the warts in some cases. There is also Imiquimod, Podofilox, or Trichloroacetic acid, which your doctor may also try for removal.

If these chemicals do not work, some cases may require Cryotherapy, electrocautery, laser therapy, interferon injection, or LEEP to remove the warts. The biopsy showed abnormal cells that were suggestive of cervical cancer or showed cervical cancer cells that did not appear to invade the deeper tissues of the cervix cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, or CIN.

Now your doctor must get rid of all the abnormal cells, if possible, and so has recommended a LEEP. The tissue specimen that is removed with the LEEP will be looked at by a pathologist to see if cervical cancer cells are invading your cervical tissue. Regarding the surgery itself, LEEP is an outpatient procedure with a low risk of complications and generally well-tolerated by patients. It does carry a small risk that the cervix will be scarred over cervical stenosis , as well as the risk of bleeding, infection, swelling of the cervix after the procedure, and post-procedure pain.

The LEEP also carries a very small risk of making the cervix "incompetent" during pregnancy — meaning that the cervix does not stay closed tightly enough during the pregnancy.

It is therefore not recommended during pregnancy and is generally done following a menstrual period. Finally, regarding your question about the risk of reinfection with HPV, if you and your partner are both monogamous, and you were already infected with HPV from him, you are not likely to be reinfected. If you or your partner have sexual contact with other people, though, then it is possible for you to be infected with other types or strains of HPV that differ from the one that you already have.

I'm 19 years old and found out I have precancerous cells on my cervix, and my doctor says that I need to undergo a LEEP. I don't know that much about the procedure — does it have any side effects? Besides a LEEP, other procedures that may be used to remove abnormal cervical cells include:. Your healthcare provider will decide on a LEEP or another procedure based on factors like your age, the location of the abnormal cells in your cervix, the size and number of areas affected, their suspicion for cancer, and whether you have undergone prior cervical treatments.

Severe cervicitis inflammation or infection of the cervix is a contraindication to a LEEP. A LEEP is also not performed during pregnancy unless there is a high suspicion of cervical invasive cancer.

Risks associated with a LEEP include:. After a LEEP, there is also a small increase in the risk of future pregnancy complications, including premature birth and having a low-birth-weight baby.

A LEEP is typically done when a Pap smear or a colposcopy suggests the presence of abnormal cervical cells or cervical dysplasia. Cervical dysplasia may be a precursor to cervical cancer and is often caused by a human papillomavirus HPV infection. The good news is that when cervical dysplasia is identified and treated early, most women do not go on to develop cancer. Even if the cells are cleared, you will still have HPV and require ongoing monitoring to ensure that any abnormal cells are treated promptly if and when they emerge.

Less commonly, a LEEP may be used to help diagnose or treat the following conditions:. If your healthcare provider tells you that you need to undergo a LEEP, they will likely ask you to schedule the procedure when you are not menstruating. This will allow for optimal visualization of your cervix. Once you are scheduled for a LEEP, your practitioner will give you instructions on how to prepare.

The LEEP procedure is performed by a gynecologist in their office; it can also be done in a hospital or surgery center. You will need to undress from the waist down for your LEEP. As such, it's a good idea to wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothes that are easy to remove on the day of your procedure. You do not need to abstain from food or drink prior to a LEEP unless you are getting sedating anesthesia.

Your doctor's office will let you know. If you take aspirin , or another type of blood thinner, your healthcare provider might ask you to stop or decrease the dose before your LEEP. Be sure to tell your practitioner all of the drugs you are taking, including prescription and over-the-counter medications, herbal products, vitamins, and recreational drugs. Your healthcare provider may advise you to take four regular-strength Motrin ibuprofen tablets or two extra-strength Tylenol acetaminophen tablets one hour prior to a LEEP assuming you are not allergic to these drugs.

This can help ease the mild discomfort you may feel during the procedure. Items to bring with you on the day of your LEEP include:. Your healthcare provider will advise you to not have sex, douche, or use tampons or any vaginal creams or medicines 24 hours before the procedure.

While a LEEP is a short procedure, it's natural to feel uneasy about it. It may help you to know what to expect, from start to finish. Upon arrival at your healthcare provider's office for a LEEP, you will be asked to use the bathroom to empty your bladder. In the exam room, you will then undress from the waist down and put on a gown. When it's time to begin the procedure, you will be asked to get on the exam table, put your feet in the stirrups at its end, and lie on your back.

Learn about our graduate medical education residency and fellowship opportunities. The B-Cell Lymphoma Moon Shot is revolutionizing the conventional medical research approach to rapidly translate findings into patient treatment options and develop personalized therapeutic strategies. A LEEP is a preventive treatment in which a doctor uses a heated wire loop to remove abnormal cells from the cervix before cancer develops.

After abnormal cells are found in a Pap test , a gynecologist will perform a colposcopy. During this procedure, a doctor closely examines your cervix with a special instrument called a colposcope and performs biopsies of the cervix. If the results show that a patient has precancerous cells high-grade dysplasia , then a LEEP is recommended.

Years ago, it was performed in an operating room, and some hospitals still perform them there. During a LEEP, the clinician numbs the cervix with a local anesthetic.

Then, the clinician removes the abnormal cells using a heated wire. The procedure takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and the patient should expect the entire visit to last no longer than an hour. Patients may feel some discomfort when the local anesthetic is applied.

Patients can return to work one to two days following a LEEP, and can return to exercise soon after, depending on instructions from their care team. Patients are advised to refrain from having sex or using tampons for four weeks after the procedure so they can fully heal. Following a LEEP, patients may experience some discomfort, cramping or bleeding, similar to a period.