Tell us what you think Your feedback will help us improve the information we provide to patients and caregivers. What could we have explained better? Leave this field blank. Last Updated Friday, June 7, If you have any questions, contact a member of your healthcare team directly. If you're a patient at MSK and you need to reach a provider after pm , during the weekend, or on a holiday, call This allows your doctor to see your cervix clearly and better monitor any bleeding caused by the procedure.
Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs can increase your risk of bleeding during the procedure. You may experience bleeding after the procedure, so make sure you bring a menstrual pad to your appointment. The procedure takes about 10 minutes, though you may be in the room for about 30 minutes total.
Your doctor or nurse will show you the equipment, explain the procedure, and ask if you have any questions or concerns. Your doctor or nurse will place a grounding pad on your thighs to protect you from electrical shocks that can happen in the treatment room. Your doctor will insert a speculum into your vagina to spread the walls of your vaginal canal and provide a clear view to your cervix.
They may also use a colposcope to magnify the tissue of your cervix. Next, your doctor will clean your cervix with a vinegar solution.
The solution will turn any abnormal tissue white so that it can be seen more easily. They may opt to use iodine in place of vinegar. Iodine will stain normal cervical tissue brown, allowing abnormal cells to be easily seen. Your doctor will inject a local anesthetic to numb your cervix before beginning the removal process. After your cervix is numb, your doctor will pass the wire loop through the speculum and begin to scrape away any abnormal tissue.
You may feel some pressure or slight cramping. Let your doctor know if you experience severe pain or feel faint. They may be able to apply more anesthetic. After the abnormal cells are removed, your doctor will apply a paste-like medication to stop any bleeding.
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. Other types of HPV can increase the risk of developing cancer, including cancer of the anus, penis, vulva, vagina, oropharynx, or cervix.
It may take years for these to develop. HPV is passed skin-to-skin through sexual intercourse or through other types of contact with the genitals. Because there is no cure for this infection, your best protection is prevention.
To reduce the risk of contracting HPV, you should:. Prevention and early detection are the keys to a successful outcome if you have developed any health-related issues with your female reproductive system. We can provide you with state-of-art health care for all your medical needs. Speculum A speculum is a metal or plastic instrument used by gynecologists to separate the walls of the vagina and enable them to see the cervix and vagina Vagina The vagina is your stretchy passage that connects the cervix, vulva, and uterus.
Cervix The cervix is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus which has a small opening to connect your uterus to your vagina Pap test Pap tests are performed to determine if there are abnormal cell changes in your cervix. Colposcopy A colposcopy is a test for cervical cancer. Biopsy A biopsy is when your doctor removes a small sample of tissue to have it further tested in a lab to make a diagnosis of a condition Is the LEEP Painful?
What does precancerous mean? What is dysplasia? The procedure does use electricity, so there will be a grounding pad placed on your thigh. This pad will prevent you from getting shocked and protect you from getting hurt The doctor will begin by numbing your cervix with an injection of a numbing medication called lidocaine. There may be slight pressure and a mild burning as it is injected.
This medication has been known to cause a patient's heart to beat a little faster. When the LEEP equipment is turned on, it will make a noise that sounds much like a vacuum.
Once the medication has numbed your cervix, the doctor will pass the thin wire loop through the surface of the cervix and remove any abnormal cells discovered during your Pap test.
There are times a second pass will be required to get all of the abnormal cells. Once the cells are removed, your doctor will cauterize the area from where they were taken to stop and prevent bleeding There will be a special solution applied by your doctor to your cervix to prevent future bleeding as well The equipment will be removed, and you will be placed in a comfortable position to rest for about ten to fifteen minutes What to Expect After a LEEP?
You should also avoid douching and follow these precautions: Rest for the remainder of the day after your treatment is complete. A loop electrosurgical excision procedure LEEP involves the removal of cervical tissue using a thin wire loop heated by electricity.
This may be recommended to further evaluate and treat pre-cancerous cells on your cervix that are found during a screening Pap smear or colposcopy.
While this procedure is safe, fast, and can be performed in your healthcare provider's office, follow-up and continued monitoring is key to ensuring that the abnormal cells do not return and progress to cervical cancer. A LEEP is one of the most common procedures used to treat cervical dysplasia , which is when abnormal precancerous cells are found within or around a woman's cervix.
This procedure takes around 20 minutes and is performed in your healthcare provider's office under local anesthesia. However, some women may prefer to have general anesthesia, in which case it can be done in a hospital or surgery center.
After injecting a numbing medication into the cervix, the practitioner inserts a thin, wire loop into the vagina.
Once it reaches the cervix, an electric current is passed through the wire loop to cut away and remove a thin layer of abnormal cervical tissue. 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.
0コメント