Loop electrical excision procedure

<p>The loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) is one of the most commonly used approaches to treat high grade <a href="/facts/Cervical_dysplasia/6GoARC51">cervical dysplasia</a> (<a href="/facts/Cervical_intraepithelial_neoplasia/6GoARC51">CIN</a> II/III, <a href="/facts/High_grade_squamous_intraepithelial_lesion/kzQgwEXB">HGSIL</a>) and early stage <a href="/facts/Cervical_cancer/99vngUyd">cervical cancer</a> discovered on <a href="/facts/Colposcopy/q9TDDCFI">colposcopic</a> examination. In the UK, it is known as large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ). It is considered a type of <a href="/facts/Cervical_conization/bxIJUCE0">conization.</a> It has been in use since the 1970s, after its invention by Dr. Sheldon Weinstein. 
</p><p>LEEP has many advantages including low cost and a high success rate. The procedure can be done in an office setting and usually only requires a <a href="/facts/Local_anesthetic/5aA2qews">local anesthetic</a>, though sometimes IV sedation or a <a href="/facts/General_anesthetic/YNM2tqty">general anesthetic</a> is used. Disadvantages include reports of decreased sexual satisfaction  and potential for <a href="/facts/Preterm_labor/szMos8tu">preterm labor</a>, though a meta-analysis published in 2014 suggested that in patients with existing CIN lesions as opposed to controls, the risk is not more than their baseline risk. Approximately 500,000 LEEP procedures are performed in the U.S. annually. 
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Loop electrical excision procedure open-in-new

Loop electrical excision procedure