Loop electrical excision procedure: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:19, 10 November 2023

Revision as of 03:28, 10 November 2023

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When performing a LEEP, the [[physician]] uses a wire loop through which an [[electric current]] is passed at variable [[Power (physics)|power]] settings. Various shapes and sizes of loop can be used depending on the size and orientation of the lesion. The [[cervix|cervical]] transformation zone and [[lesion]] are excised to an adequate depth, which in most cases is at least 8&nbsp;mm, and extending 4 to 5&nbsp;mm beyond the lesion. A second pass with a more narrow loop can also be done to obtain an [[endocervical]] specimen for further [[histology|histologic]] evaluation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/surgery/a/leepprocedure.htm|title= LEEP Procedure — What is LEEP? — Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure|access-date=2007-12-28 |first=Tracee |last= Cornforth|publisher=About.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070502071454/http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/surgery/a/leepprocedure.htm|archive-date=2007-05-02}}</ref>

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 [[pathology|pathological]] interpretation provided depth is not exceeded.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Khunamornpong |first=S. |last2=Raungrongmorakot |first2=K. |last3=Siriaunkgul |first3=S. |date=2001-04 |title=Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital: problems in pathologic evaluation |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11460961/ |journal=Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet Thangphaet |volume=84 |issue=4 |pages=507–514 |issn=0125-2208 |pmid=11460961}}</ref> The thermal artifact can be a function of depth and time.

==Complications==

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A survey study has indicated that the LEEP procedure does not appear to affect [[fertility]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Turlington WT, Wright BD, Powell JL |title=Impact of the loop electrosurgical excision procedure on future fertility |journal=J Reprod Med |volume=41 |issue=11 |pages=815–8 |date=November 1996 |pmid=8951130 }}</ref> On the other hand, a [[case-control study]] has found an association between surgical treatment of CIN lesions and risk of [[female infertility|infertility]] or subfertility, with an odds ratio of approximately 2.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Spracklen | first1 = C. N. | last2 = Harland | first2 = K. K. | last3 = Stegmann | first3 = B. J. | last4 = Saftlas | first4 = A. F. | title = Cervical surgery for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and prolonged time to conception of a live birth: A case-control study | doi = 10.1111/1471-0528.12209 | journal = BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology | volume = 120 | issue = 8 | pages = 960–965 | year = 2013 | pmid = 23489374 | pmc =3691952 }}</ref> Scarring of the cervix is a theoretical mechanism of causing trouble conceiving. This scar tissue can be massaged or broken up in a number of ways, thus allowing the cervical opening to dilate back to normal size.

A [[cohort study]] came to the result that women with a time interval from LEEP to pregnancy of less than 12 months compared with 12 months or more were at significantly increased risk for [[miscarriage]], with risk of miscarriage of 18% compared with 4.6%, respectively.<ref name=Chescheir2013>{{Cite journal | last1 = Conner | first1 = S. N. | last2 = Cahill | first2 = A. G. | last3 = Tuuli | first3 = M. G. | last4 = Stamilio | first4 = D. M. | last5 = Odibo | first5 = A. O. | last6 = Roehl | first6 = K. A. | last7 = MacOnes | first7 = G. A. | doi = 10.1097/01.AOG.0000435454.31850.79 | title = Interval from Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure to Pregnancy and Pregnancy Outcomes | journal = Obstetrics & Gynecology | volume = 122 | issue = 6 | pages = 1154–9 | year = 2013 | pmid = 24201682| pmc = 3908542}}</ref> On the other hand, no increased risk was identified for [[preterm birth]] after LEEP.<ref name=Chescheir2013/>

However a large [[meta-analysis]] concluded that women with CIN have a higher baseline risk for preterm birth than the general population and that LEEP as the treatment for CIN probably increase this risk further. Also, the risk of preterm birth appears to increase with multiple treatments and increasing amounts of tissue removed.<ref name="pmid29095502">{{cite journal | vauthors = Kyrgiou M, Athanasiou A, Kalliala IE, Paraskevaidi M, Mitra A, Martin-Hirsch PP, Arbyn M, Bennett P, Paraskevaidis E | title = Obstetric outcomes after conservative treatment for cervical intraepithelial lesions and early invasive disease | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 11 | issue = 11 | pages = CD012847 | date = November 2017 | pmid = 29095502 | pmc = 6486192 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD012847 }}</ref>

A study found that women reported a statistically significant decrease in sexual satisfaction following LEEP.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Sexual function after loop electrosurgical excision procedure for cervical dysplasia|first1=Namfon|last1=Inna|first2=Yupin|last2=Phianmongkhol|first3=Kittipat|last3=Charoenkwan|date=1 March 2010|journal=J Sex Med|volume=7|issue=3|pages=1291–1297|doi=10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01633.x|pmid=19968775}}</ref>

A [[systematic review]] and meta-analysis published in 2014 which sought to examine the differences in preterm labor risk between patients who had a LEEP procedure and those who had CIN findings concluded that there is not a significant difference between those groups in terms of risk, as might previously have been suggested. The study determined that both groups have a higher likelihood for preterm labor than healthy controls, but suggests that a LEEP procedure in a CIN patient might not carry as significant of an increase in risk for preterm labor in future pregnancies as is generally understood.<ref name="pmid24785601">{{cite journal | vauthors = Conner SN, Frey HA, Cahill AG, Macones GA, Colditz GA, Tuuli MG | title = Loop electrosurgical excision procedure and risk of preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis | journal = Obstetrics and Gynecology | volume = 123 | issue = 4 | pages = 752–61 | date = April 2014 | pmid = 24785601 | pmc = 4113318 | doi = 10.1097/AOG.0000000000000174 }}</ref> This perspective carries significant implications when it comes to pregnancy timing and decision making in women of child bearing age who have cervical dysplasia and would like to decide whether they should have the lesions removed before or after pregnancy. As pregnancy is generally understood to be an immune suppressed state, the viral mediated character of cervical lesions might also inform revisions to treatment recommendations in such instances.<ref name="pmid24785601"/>

==See also==