Patient Education: Diseases Conditions Treatments & Procedures
LEEP Procedure
Overview
Treatment may be required to remove the abnormal cells on the cervix. The method chosen for you will depend on the severity of the dysplasia, as well as the size and location of the area. The most common treatment is called a LEEP treatment (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure) and uses electrical cautery to burn off the abnormal cells. It is very fast and can be done under either local freezing or general anesthetic.
After a LEEP treatment, you must refrain from exercise for 2 weeks and refrain from sex for four weeks to heal properly and prevent bleeding and infection. During this time you can only use pads, no tampons.
A repeat treatment is required in about 25 per cent of patients. Follow-up colposcopy examinations are carried out at least twice a year to ensure the dysplasia has not returned. Complications from treatment are unusual but include bleeding or infection in the first month after LEEP and very rarely cervical narrowing or cervical weakening as a result of treatment.
