LEEP (Loop electrosurgical excision procedure) helps to diagnose and treat abnormal cell growth on the surface tissue of your cervix. Doctors use an insulated wire loop with electricity heat to remove the abnormal tissue. Once the tissue is removed, your doctor can use it to test precancerous cells, which can lead to cervical cancer over time if left untreated. LEEP Atlanta helps with early diagnosis and prevention of cervical cancer. Your doctor may recommend LEEP after a Pap smear or a colposcopy biopsy to confirm you have abnormal cells in your cervix. Before the LEEP procedure, your doctor will ensure you do not have conditions like pelvic inflammatory disease or cervix inflammation.
What happens before LEEP?
Your doctor will recommend you avoid sexual intercourse or use vaginal creams twenty-four hours before the LEEP procedure. You will also stop taking medicines that affect how your blood clots, such as anticoagulants and aspirin. Carry a pad with you on the treatment day that you can wear after the treatment to handle any vaginal discharge. Your doctor will suggest you take a painkiller like acetaminophen or ibuprofen thirty minutes before the process.
What happens during the LEEP procedure?
During the LEEP procedure, your doctor will recommend you lie on your back on an exam table and rest your feet in stirrups. The doctor will widen your vagina with a speculum to get a clear view of your cervix. The doctor may add a very dilute solution of acetic acid or iodine to your cervix to make the abnormal cells visible. Your provider will then place a colposcope near your vagina opening to get a magnified view of your cervix.
After your doctor locates the abnormal cells, the provider will administer local anesthesia to your cervix to numb it. During the injection, you may experience tingling in your tongue, ringing in your ears, or a rapid heartbeat, but the effects last for a few minutes. Once your cervix becomes numb, the doctor inserts an electrically charged loop made of thin wire, which cuts away a thin layer of surface tissue, eliminating abnormal cells.
Ensure you remain still during the tissue removal process. Your provider may use a second loop to access deeper into your cervix. The removed tissue will be taken to the laboratory for cancer or abnormal cells test. Finally, your specialist will apply an iron solution known as Monsel’s paste to the area to stop and prevent bleeding. After the procedure, you will rest in your provider’s office for about thirty minutes.
What happens after the LEEP procedure?
After the LEEP process, you are likely to feel tired. Ensure you get plenty of rest the day of your procedure. You may experience[WU1] mild cramping for a few days following LEEP. Your doctor will recommend you take over-the-counter non-aspirin painkillers like acetaminophen. Also, you will have vaginal spotting for one to three weeks after the treatment, so you will have to wear pads to manage the discharge. You can resume sexual intercourse after four weeks after your cervix heals.
LEEP helps doctors to diagnose and treat abnormal cell growth on the surface tissue of your cervix. The procedure primarily helps early diagnosis and prevention of cervical cancer. Schedule an appointment at Ideal Gynecology, LLC for LEEP to detect abnormal cells in your cervix for effective treatment.
