What it is
LEEP stands for loop electrosurgical excision procedure. A thin wire loop carrying an electric current shaves off the part of the cervix where abnormal cells sit.
It does two things at once. The abnormal tissue comes off, and it goes to the lab so the pathologist can read the whole piece rather than a fragment.
It takes about ten minutes. You are awake, and the cervix is numbed first.
Why it is done
- A colposcopy biopsy showing CIN 2 or CIN 3
- Repeat abnormal pap results from another office
- A colposcopy that could not see the whole abnormal area
- A biopsy result that does not match the pap result
- Abnormal cells that reach up into the cervical canal
- Persistent high-risk HPV with abnormal cells that are not clearing
What happens, step by step
- 1
Numbing the cervix
Local anesthetic goes into the cervix through a fine needle.
- 2
Grounding pad
A pad goes on your thigh to complete the electrical circuit.
- 3
The loop passes
The wire loop sweeps across the cervix and lifts the tissue out.
- 4
Sealing the base
A ball electrode stops the bleeding, then Monsel's paste is applied.
- 5
To the lab
The specimen goes to pathology with its margins marked.
Questions people ask
- Does it hurt?
- You feel the numbing injection and a dull cramp. The excision itself is usually not painful.
- Can I drive home?
- Yes. You are awake and nothing sedating is used.
- Will I still be able to get pregnant?
- Most women can. Excision slightly raises the risk of preterm birth, so tell your obstetrician you have had one.
- What is the dark discharge afterwards?
- Dark, watery discharge for two to three weeks is expected. It comes from Monsel's paste.
- Is LEEP the same as a cone biopsy?
- They overlap. A cone takes a deeper, cone-shaped piece, and LEEP takes a shallower one.
- Will I need it again?
- Usually not. Follow-up testing continues on a schedule Dr. Mueller sets.