Loop electrical excision procedure

The loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP or LLETZ) is currently one of the most commonly used approaches to treating high grade cervical dysplasiadiscovered on colposcopicexamination. The procedure has many advantages including low cost, high success rate, and ease of use. The procedure can be done in an office setting and only requires a local anesthetic.

When performing a LEEP, the physicianuses a wire loop through which an electrical current is passed at variable power settings. Various shapes and sizes of loop can be used depending on the size and orientation of the lesion. The transformation zoneand lesionare excised to an adequate depth, which in most cases is at least 8 mm, and extending 4 to 5 mm beyond the lesion. A second pass with a more narrow loop can also be done to obtain an endocervicalspecimen for further histologicevaluation.

The LEEP technique results in some thermal artifact in all specimens obtained due to the use of electricity which simultaneously cuts and cauterizes the lesion, but this does not generally interfere with pathologicalinterpretation. Complications are less frequent in comparison to a cold knife conization, but can include infectionand hemorrhage. Damage to the cervical stromamay lead to cervical stenosisor incompetence. The LEEP does not appear to affect fertility. However, a recent study indicated that LEEP appears to increase the risk of premature rupture of the membranes during subsequent pregnancies which may lead to preterm delivery.

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It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loop+electrical+excision+procedure Wikipedia article Loop electrical excision procedure.