Abnormal cells in the cervix are often diagnosed and affect many American women. While it can be worrying, women’s health practitioners, Lillian Schapiro, MD, and Kristan Adams, MD, offer LEEP in Atlanta to remove the abnormal growths. The treatment option is mainly recommended after abnormal changes are diagnosed through a Pap test or colposcopy and allow your provider to remove the abnormal cell growths from your cervix’s surface and test it for cancer where necessary. Here is more critical information about the treatment option to help you glimpse what it entails. Have a look.
What is LEEP?
LEEP is generally an abbreviation of loop electrosurgical excision procedure, a treatment option for testing and treating an abnormal cell growth in the cervix. The procedure uses an electrically heated wire loop to scope a thin layer of the abnormal tissue sent to the lab for testing. It can also be used to remove the entire abnormal tissue to allow the growth of healthy ones.
Why it Might be Necessary
LEEP is mainly recommended when some complications are found on your lower genital tract during a pelvic exam or when abnormal cells are diagnosed through a pap smear. While the cells are abnormal, they are usually precancerous and can be removed entirely or taken to the lab for testing as they can be the first evidence of cancer. Additionally, LEEP can also be used to assist in diagnosing and treating polyps, diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure, and genital warts. Also, your provider may have other reasons you should consult to understand when they recommend LEEP.
Risk Involved
During the LEEP procedure, your risks for specific complications are increased. Hazards include bleeding, infection, trouble getting pregnant, Scarring in the cervix, and potential preterm birth. Ensure you ask your doctor for clarification about the risks so that you can make informed decisions. Additionally, let your provider know if you are pregnant or allergic, or sensitive to iodine, latex, and medications before your procedure.
Also, some factors such as acute inflammation of the cervix, acute pelvic inflammatory disease, and menstruation can interfere with LEEP. Therefore, notify your doctor if you are enduring any.
Getting Ready
If your provider recommends LEEP, they will explain the procedure to you and advise you on how to prepare, and you can also ask some questions. But the preparations are easy, and fasting or sedation is not necessary. However, it would be best not to use vaginal creams or medicines, tampons, douching, or have sex before your appointment. Your doctor can ask you to take some pain relievers about 30 minutes before your procedure.
What to Happen During Your Treatment
LEEP can be done as an outpatient procedure in your doctor’s office or can be part of your stay in the office, depending on your condition and your provider’s practice. Generally, you will lie on the exam table with legs and feet supported for a pelvic exam. Your provider will interpolate a speculum into your vagina to expose the cervix and use a colposcope to magnify the tissues. Your cervix may be cleaned with a vinegar solution to make the abnormal cells more visible. A LEEP wire is injected through the speculum, and the tissue removed depends on the purpose of the procedure.
Contact the LEEP specialists at Ideal Gynecology today to explore more about the important diagnostic tool or treatment option. If you are experiencing complications on your vagina or cervix, your provider will help you understand if you can benefit from the procedure.