LEEP Procedure

In minutes, we can remove pre-cancerous lesions from your cervix. The LEEP procedure replaces the traditional cone biopsy, shaving the abnormal tissues away. Over 90% of patients are cured in a single treatment. The procedure can be performed in our office or at our Washington Outpatient Surgery Center.

The loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) is used when you have pre-cancerous cells on the surface of the cervix. This does not mean you have cancer, but treatment of the abnormal area is important to prevent the cells from progressing into invasive cervical cancer.

After injecting local anesthetic in your cervix, we use the LEEP—a thin, wire-loop electrode attached to an electrosurgical generator. The generator transmits a painless electrical current that quickly cuts away the affected cervical tissue—it takes about one minute. After the lesion is removed, your physician will use a ball electrode to stop any bleeding; he/she may also use a topical solution to prevent further bleeding. This technique allows your physician to send the excised tissue to the lab for further evaluation, which insures that the pre-cancerous lesion was completely removed, as well as allowing for a more accurate assessment of the abnormal area.

After a LEEP, you can expect mild cramping, dark discharge, and possibly mild bleeding. You can immediately return to work and light activities. Do not have intercourse or place anything in your vagina for 4 weeks afterwards. You should call us if you experience bleeding that is heavier than a normal period, or if you experience severe pain. Follow your doctor’s instructions closely after your LEEP procedure; he/she will tell you when to return for follow-up PAP smears and/or colposcopy. While LEEP will successfully treat greater than 90% of patients on the first attempt, it is imperative that you keep these follow-up appointments to be sure that the abnormal area was completely removed and that it has not returned.