What is a "loop electrosurgical excision procedure" or "LEEP"?

What is a "loop electrosurgical excision procedure" or "LEEP"?

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LEEP procedure can be both an office procedure or we can do it in the hospital. Basically, what is is that we numb the cervix and with an electrically charged loop we go and then, just like an ice cream scooper sort of thing, we remove the abnormal tissues that we've identified by croboscopy from the cervix. Basically as a treatment or a function to it. If the cervix is well anesthetized, it shouldn't really be painful. Pelvic exams in general are uncomfortable and to do this you would have to be in a stirrup with a speculum inside, and then that may take a few minutes for it to be performed, usually it takes anywhere between five to ten minutes and so being in that position is very uncomfortable, and the injections that we apply to the cervix to numb the cervix may be uncomfortable, but usually not. Usually it works very well, it's fairly fast, and patients do very, very well. Usually patients can go back to their work the same day or right after they leave the office. There's a possibility for some bleeding afterwards, some cramps afterwards, but usually a couple Advils and keeping their abdomen warm takes care of the problem.