Does the leep procedure hurt: What Are the Side Effects of the LEEP Procedure?

01.07.202315.06.2023 by alexxlab

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What Are the Side Effects of the LEEP Procedure?

In This Section

Cervical Cancer
How do I know if I have cervical cancer?
What’s a Pap test?
What’s an HPV test?
What is a colposcopy?
What happens after my colposcopy?

What is cryotherapy?
What happens after cryotherapy?
What’s LEEP?
What happens after LEEP?
What if I’m diagnosed with cervical cancer?

After LEEP you’ll have some cramps and discharge. There are things you can do to make yourself more comfortable.

What do I need to do after LEEP?

You may have mild cramping for a day or so after LEEP. If you’re uncomfortable, you can take over-the-counter pain medicine (like ibuprofen or acetaminophen).

You’ll probably also have watery discharge for several weeks. It may be heavy and have a little blood in it. It also may smell a little bad. You can wash your vulva with plain water a few times a day, but don’t wash or put anything inside your vagina. And drink lots of fluids to replace the water you’re losing in your discharge.

To speed up your LEEP procedure recovery and prevent infection, follow these guidelines:

Don’t douche or use tampons for at least 3 weeks. You can use pads or panty liners.
Don’t have vaginal sex or put anything in your vagina (like fingers or sex toys) for 3 weeks, unless your doctor or nurse tells you otherwise.

Your nurse or doctor will probably want to do testing more often to monitor your cervix carefully. The problem could stay the same, get worse, or go away on its own or after treatment. Your doctor or nurse can discuss your best treatment plan with you.

Is LEEP safe?

Most people don’t have any serious problems after LEEP. Very rarely, serious problems happen. These include:

pelvic infection — especially if you have vaginal sex before your cervix heals
damage to other pelvic organs or the wall of your vagina
heavy bleeding
reaction to local anesthesia

Call your doctor right away if you have

severe belly pain
fever (temperature of 100.4 F) or chills
vaginal discharge that smells very bad
unusual vaginal bleeding or bleeding that’s heavier than the heaviest day of your period

LEEP may increase the risk of preterm birth in future pregnancies. Talk with your doctor or nurse if you plan on getting pregnant in the future, and if you get pregnant, let your doctor know that you’ve had LEEP.

In a small number of cases (10%), LEEP doesn’t completely cure the problem. If this happens to you, you might need to have another LEEP or a different treatment.

LEEP During Pregnancy

Doctors usually wait until after you give birth to treat abnormal cervical cells. Delaying treatment is usually safe because it generally takes a long time for abnormal cervical cells to turn into cancer.

Are there other treatments that prevent cervical cancer?

Yes. Other treatments include:

Cryotherapy — using a chemical to freeze abnormal cells off your cervix so normal ones can grow back
Laser — using a laser beam to remove abnormal cells.
Cone biopsy — cutting a cone-shaped wedge of tissue out of your cervix and testing it in a lab.

What You Need To Know About LEEP (loop electrosurgical excision procedure)

LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure) is a treatment for cervical cancer. Your doctor will use a small wire loop (electrical) to go into your cervix and remove any abnormal cells they’ve discovered. These abnormal cells are typically discovered during a routine pap test, biopsy, or colposcopy.

How Does the Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) Work?

When you prepare to have LEEP, you will be asked to lay on the exam table much like you do when having a routine pap test. Your feet are supported in stirrups, and your doctor from All Women’s Care will insert a speculum into your vagina to open it. By opening your vagina with the speculum, the walls of your vagina are separated so the doctor can see inside to your cervix.

LEEP is used in treating moderate or mild precancerous changes in your uterus. This technique is sometimes used to treat cancers that have gone deeper into the tissue of your cervix or severe cases of dysplasia.

Once your physician can see into your cervix, they will use a numbing medicine and apply it to your vagina. Once you have been numbed, the doctor will use a small tool that has a wire loop (electrical wire) attached to remove any abnormal cells that have been discovered. A low voltage electric current is used to cut away the abnormal cells or tissue.

In some cases, your doctor will apply a local anesthetic medication in the area of the cervix, known as a cervical block. Medications for pain control can also be given intravenously or pre-operatively in pill form. This procedure is different from the ones where the abnormal tissue is destroyed, such as with freezing or laser techniques.

Once the cells have been removed, the blood vessels in the area they were removed from will be sealed to prevent bleeding. In some cases, your doctor from All Women’s Care may use a special paste to prevent you from bleeding after the removal of abnormal cells.

The abnormal cells collected from inside your cervix are preserved and will be sent to a lab for testing by a pathologist. The complete procedure should take approximately ten minutes. Your doctor will discuss the results with you once the lab has filed their report.

Vagina
The vagina is your stretchy passage that connects the cervix, vulva, and uterus. This area is where menstruation comes out of your body, as well as a baby through childbirth. This area is also where you place sexual penetration with a finger, penis, or sex toy. During a woman’s menstruation cycle, it is where menstrual cups or tampons are placed.

Pap test
Pap tests are performed to determine if there are abnormal cell changes in your cervix. The frequency in which these tests should be done depends on your age, medical history, and results of any previous tests. Your doctor at All Women’s Care will discuss how frequently you should schedule your individual tests.

Is the LEEP Painful?

During a LEEP, there may be some mild discomfort or cramping. With the numbing medication applied, you will not feel any heat from the loop or any of the cutting sensation. Most patients have reported they did not feel any sensations during the procedure.

Is There Preparation for LEEP?

LEEP is scheduled by your doctor at All Women’s Care after there has been a diagnosis of precancerous changes in your cervix. This diagnosis would follow a screening test and cervical biopsies. The finding of your Pap Test generally signals that further examination of the cervix is needed.

Colposcopy would be the necessary examination of your vaginal walls, vulva, and uterine cervix. This procedure uses illumination and magnification to check and examine abnormalities of these structures. Colposcopy is generally recommended to evaluate Pap tests with abnormal results. During this procedure, more testing, including a biopsy, is done to determine whether or not the abnormal cells or tissue are cancer or precancerous. If it is determined it is dysplasia, then your doctor at All Women’s Care will discuss the option of LEEP.

What does precancerous mean?
A precancerous condition refers to a lesion involving abnormal cells. These cells are associated with an increased risk of developing cancer. They are often referred to as ‘precancerous’ as cancer has not yet progressed to an invasive or aggressive stage.

Sometimes these cells can progress to cancer, but most often, they do not. The cells can stay the same, remain abnormal, but not invasive, or they can even become healthy again. If the precancerous cells are removed before they can become cancerous, your condition is theoretically one-hundred percent curable.

What is dysplasia?
Dysplasia is defined as the presence of cells, which are considered abnormal within your tissue. This condition can signify a stage preceding cancer or the development of cancer. It does not mean you will develop cancer if these cells are discovered, but you are at a higher risk of developing cancer than a person without this condition.

Before having your LEEP, do not take any medications that contain aspirin or aspirin itself for seven days before your scheduled appointment for the LEEP. You should drink and eat as you usually would, and there is no need to change your diet on the day of your appointment. You should have LEEP scheduled one week after your menstrual cycle, as this will help the doctor know the difference between bleeding caused by the procedure and the bleeding from your period.

If you think there is any chance you could be pregnant, you should discuss this with your doctor at All Women’s Care before the procedure is done.

What to Expect During LEEP

If you are scheduled to have LEEP, it may help to understand what you will experience during your treatment.

Females between the ages of eleven and fifty will be asked to take a urine or pregnancy test prior to the start of the LEEP

A patient care technician or nurse will show you the equipment to be used during your treatment if you are interested in seeing these items

If you have any questions before beginning the procedure, your doctor at All Women’s Care will sit with you and answer any questions

A technician or nurse will help you get into position, which is the same as when you have a Pap test. The procedure does use electricity, so there will be a grounding pad placed on your thigh. This pad will prevent you from getting shocked and protect you from getting hurt

The doctor will begin by numbing your cervix with an injection of a numbing medication called lidocaine. There may be slight pressure and a mild burning as it is injected. This medication has been known to cause a patient’s heart to beat a little faster.

When the LEEP equipment is turned on, it will make a noise that sounds much like a vacuum.

Once the medication has numbed your cervix, the doctor will pass the thin wire loop through the surface of the cervix and remove any abnormal cells discovered during your Pap test. There are times a second pass will be required to get all of the abnormal cells.

Once the cells are removed, your doctor will cauterize the area from where they were taken to stop and prevent bleeding

There will be a special solution applied by your doctor to your cervix to prevent future bleeding as well

The equipment will be removed, and you will be placed in a comfortable position to rest for about ten to fifteen minutes

What to Expect After a LEEP?

Side effects after a procedure are mild pain, and there can be some cramping, which occurs over the first few hours after the treatment. Spotting and vaginal discharge can also appear and persist for up to several weeks. Tampons and sexual intercourse should be avoided to allow for more effective healing. You should also avoid douching and follow these precautions:

Rest for the remainder of the day after your treatment is complete. You can return to work or school one to two days after LEEP

If you experience any type of discomfort, you can take ibuprofen or Tylenol

You are allowed to take a shower, but do not take a bath until your doctor at All Women’s Care says it is safe

You may notice a brownish discharge for one to two days after LEEP. This discharge is from the solution put on your cervix to prevent bleeding. You can use a sanitary pad to catch this discharge

There may be vaginal bleeding that resembles menstrual flow from one to four days after your treatment. There may be more bleeding ten to twelve days later as you begin to heal. The amount of bleeding or discharge varies for every woman

You should not perform any strenuous activity such as aerobics or running for about one week after the treatment

It is normal to have a heavy or late menstrual cycle following LEEP

Should you experience a temperature spike of more than 101 Fahrenheit, chills, blood clots or heavy vaginal bleeding, or pain that cannot be controlled with over-the-counter medications, you should contact your doctor at All Women’s Care

It can take the lab several days to analyze the sample taken and provide a report to your doctor.

Are There Complications or Risks with LEEP?

There are no reported or common risks with LEEP. Any complications or side effects would involve increased bleeding, narrowing of the cervix opening, or infection. LEEP is associated with preterm labor in a subsequent pregnancy, and your doctor may want to schedule a followup in this situation.

LEEP carries a small risk of making your cervix ‘incompetent’ during pregnancy. This incompetence means your cervix does not stay closed tightly enough during pregnancy. If this issue should occur, there are procedures to help keep the cervix closed, so it is able to support a pregnancy.

LEEP has been presented as ‘very safe,’ but there are some risks acknowledged. Some risks include a heightened risk of premature labor, low birth weights, second-trimester miscarriage, and in few, rare cases there have been reports of the cervix narrowing, which caused the menstruation cycle to be obstructed causing severe pain.

Other complaints have come through from a group of women complaining that the LEEP procedure has affected their sexual drive. The official word from most doctors in the United States, and worldwide, is there are no proven sexual side effects from the LEEP procedure. While there has not been a lot of research into the side effects of sexual drive impact, one paper in Thailand found that LEEP is associated with a small but significant decrease in overall sexual satisfaction.

If you have concerns with side effects from LEEP, talk to your doctor at All Women’s Care to find the latest information regarding the safe and effective use of this procedure to prevent the risk of developing cancer.

Are There Follow Up Requirements After LEEP?

If your doctor at All Women’s Care has been able to remove the abnormal area successfully, there is no need for follow-ups. If, however, dysplasia is diagnosed, it can recur at a later time. Regular Pap tests would be required following LEEP to evaluate possible recurrence.

Prognosis for Cervical Dysplasia After LEEP

LEEP has proven to be an effective treatment for cervical dysplasia, just as laser, cone biopsy, or cryocautery. All of these treatments are showing to have more than a ninety percent survival rate for lesions that are precancerous of the uterine cervix.

What is Cryocautery?
Cryocautery is a treatment using liquid nitrogen (freezing gas) to destroy precancerous cells on the cervix. Once these precancerous cells are removed, your body can replace them with healthy, new cells.

Cryocautery involves freezing your cervix with a metal probe. The probe is used from one to two minutes to complete the freeze. This procedure can also be used to treat mildly abnormal cells on the cervix.

Cryocautery or freezing of the cancerous cells is performed under a procedure called cryotherapy. The treatment is applied much like LEEP as you lie down on the exam table, and the doctor inserts a speculum to open the walls of your vagina.

A tool called a cryoprobe is used to hold your cervix for a few minutes gently, and it will freeze your cells quickly. This procedure is typically repeated twice with a few minutes rest in-between applications. The whole process should last about five minutes.

Cryotherapy has about a ninety percent success rate for curing abnormal cells, so the problem doesn’t return. If the treatment doesn’t remove all the abnormal cells, your doctor at All Women’s Care may suggest you repeat the procedure, or they may instead suggest you have an alternative treatment, LEEP.

LEEP and HPV (Human Papillomavirus)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that is spread through sexual contact. This virus will invade your cells in your vagina and cervix and can be cleared in most women without any special treatment, as in many cases, the infected cells are shed from the vagina and cervix. In some cases, however, the virus does not clear and persists in some of the cells of the cervix. If HPV persists in the cervix, it can change in appearance when viewed under a microscope and can cause cervical cancer.

There is no treatment to eliminate or cure the virus once it has infected your body’s system. There is an HPV vaccine that has been recently approved by the FDA that is able to prevent infection and is for women who have never been infected. The vaccine has to be given before a person becomes sexually active. LEEP is able to get rid of abnormal cells that are caused by HPV, but it does not get rid of the actual HPV virus infection.

Your doctor at All Women’s Care would recommend a LEEP if you were infected by HPV through sexual activity, and the HPV persisted and caused abnormal changes in the cells of your cervix. If these abnormal cells were detected through your Pap test, you would then most likely have been scheduled for a colposcopy and a biopsy of your cervix.

If the biopsy then showed abnormal cells that suggested to your doctor there was cancer present or showed cervical cancer cells that were not invading deeper tissue of your cervix; the doctor would want to get rid of those cells. To get rid of the abnormal cells, your doctor at All Women’s Care may suggest LEEP.

What is HPV?
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection, with almost fourteen million new cases diagnosed each year in the U.S. There are different forms of this infection, and some can cause genital warts, while others are responsible for cancers.

Some of the key points regarding this infection include:
- Most sexually active women and men will contract HPV at some point in their life
- HPV can be spread through anal, vaginal, or oral sex
- HPV can be transmitted during childbirth causing a newborn to experience respiratory infections
- There is no known cure for HPV, but there are effective, safe vaccines to prevent it
While there is no cure for this virus, the symptoms resulting from it can be treated. Genital warts, one of the results of this infection can be treated with medication to remove the warts. A chemical, podophyllin, which your doctor can apply, will remove the warts in some cases. There is also Imiquimod, Podofilox, or Trichloroacetic acid, which your doctor may also try for removal. If these chemicals do not work, some cases may require Cryotherapy, electrocautery, laser therapy, interferon injection, or LEEP to remove the warts.

Other types of HPV can increase the risk of developing cancer, including cancer of the anus, penis, vulva, vagina, oropharynx, or cervix. It may take years for these to develop.

HPV is passed skin-to-skin through sexual intercourse or through other types of contact with the genitals. Because there is no cure for this infection, your best protection is prevention. To reduce the risk of contracting HPV, you should:
- Receive the HPV vaccine
- Use safe sex measures
- If warts are present, do not have sexual contacts

Prevention and early detection are the keys to a successful outcome if you have developed any health-related issues with your female reproductive system. Talk with your doctor at All Women’s Care about scheduling annual checkups and how procedures such as LEEP can help you maintain your health.

Who Can Perform LEEP Near Me?

If you have had an abnormal Pap test and want to learn more about how LEEP can benefit you, call All Women’s Care at 213-250-9461. We can provide you with state-of-art health care for all your medical needs. At All Women’s Care, we can offer you the highest standard of care and provide you with all the information you need to make the best medical decision for your care and treatment.

indications and contraindications, does it affect the ability to get pregnant – MEDSI

Pathologies of the cervix appear not only in women who have given birth, but also in those who have not given birth. To determine their presence and develop an effective method of treatment, it is necessary to conduct examinations. The most qualitative of them in terms of the accuracy of the result is a biopsy.

This procedure, which is a minimally invasive surgical intervention, serves to take a tissue sample. Subsequently, it is examined in the laboratory for the presence of cancerous or precancerous cells. It can also be used to remove the affected area.

Indications for the procedure

A biopsy of the cervix is necessary for the following pathologies:

Neoplasms:

Any keratosis, even with normal cytology
Dysplasia – the appearance of a group of atypical cells
Polyps – enlargement of the mucous membrane of the cervical canal
Genital warts (condylomas) – cone-shaped outgrowths on mucous membranes

Cytological anomalies:

ASC-H – indicative of a precancerous condition
AIS – probability of occurrence of cancer
Koilocytes – risk of malignancy
AGC – atypical columnar epithelial cells
ASC-US – atypical squamous cells
HSIL – the probability of developing cancer cells in squamous epithelial tissues

Severe abnormal colposcopic features:

Abnormal colposcopic findings with a positive HPV test of the highly oncogenic type
Unusual colposcopic findings that are difficult to interpret

Contraindications

Cervical biopsy is a surgical method for obtaining tissue, so it has the following contraindications:

Acute infection (ARI, etc. )
Presence of diabetes mellitus in the stage of decompensation
Inflammatory processes of the lower urogenital tract
Blood clotting problems (hemophilia, thrombocytopenia, etc.)
Disorders of the cardiovascular system
Diagnosed epilepsy
Pregnancy

Cervical biopsy for nulliparous is used only in case of emergency and a strictly limited number of methods.

During the period of monthly menstrual bleeding, a biopsy should also not be done.

Is it possible to do a biopsy for nulliparous women (does it hurt, does it affect childbearing)

In the presence of pathologies of the cervix, it is almost impossible to do without this procedure. Only she can accurately confirm the presence of a precancerous or cancerous condition.

At the same time, some types of such examinations leave behind scars that can be damaged during childbirth. Therefore, a cervical biopsy before pregnancy is prescribed, but not all methods are used.

According to the volume of intervention, two types of biopsy are distinguished:

Point (aiming) – a small piece of cervical tissue is taken from a certain place. Often performed under colposcopy guidance
Excision (expanded) – tissue is excised within the entire affected area, including almost the entire surface of the cervix

In such a situation, usually apply:

Radio wave procedure – it is done with a radio knife (Surgitron device) under local anesthesia
Laser manipulation – using a laser beam, accompanied by short-term general anesthesia
Ultrasonic biopsy

Since this procedure uses local anesthesia or general anesthesia, the patient does not feel pain.

The main danger after a cervical biopsy for nulliparous women is the possibility of narrowing the lumen of this organ, as well as the formation of an inelastic scar. Therefore, the procedure is carried out as carefully and as sparingly as possible.

Which diseases can be detected

A biopsy can detect signs of diseases such as:

Cancer – the appearance of malignant cells that can subsequently develop into a tumor
Polyps of the cervix – the development of outgrowths in the organ, which can be visually assessed as a benign formation, but malignant changes may be detected in a histological examination
Chronic cervicitis – inflammatory disease of the cervix
Flat condyloma
Ectopia – excessive formation of columnar epithelium beyond the required limits
Squamous metaplasia – sites of healing (replacement) of ectopia
Dysplasia – can be caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and is a distortion of the structure of the inner layer of cervical tissue
Leukoplakia – keratinization of squamous epithelial cells

Recovery period after procedure

Since a biopsy is actually a type of surgical intervention, a recovery period of about 2-3 weeks is required after it. For healing to be successful, you need to follow the recommendations:

If bleeding occurs, use only pads (do not use tampons)
Refrain from sexual intercourse for two weeks
Pain medications are used to relieve pain
Vaginal formulations and blood thinners – prescription only
Do not perform water procedures – do not visit baths, saunas, rivers, lakes, pools and do not take hot baths for 2 weeks (and sometimes before menstruation)
Do not lift weights exceeding 3 kg, do not play sports
Try to sit as little as possible

Failure to follow the recommendations can slow down the healing process and lead to complications:

Prolonged bleeding (up to a week)
Severe pain in the lower abdomen
Unaccustomed discharge with an unpleasant odor
Fever (greater than 37.5°C)
General deterioration

When they appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Advantages of the procedure at MEDSI

Experienced specialists will select the best method for cervical biopsy for nulliparous patients
Modern equipment (including the apparatus “Surgitron”)
Own laboratory, which allows you to get the result as quickly and efficiently as possible
Doctors of MEDSI clinics develop individual programs for women’s health

To book an appointment, call 8 (495) 7-800-500.

Do not delay treatment, see a doctor right now:

Cervical biopsy
Obstetrician-gynecologist appointment
Treatment of cervical erosion

Pain after installing mesothreads: all the details

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Do you want to correct the shape of your face, but are you afraid of pain? You do not know which pains are the norm, and with which ones you should immediately run to a specialist?

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So, the recovery period after the installation of mesothreads is the shortest of all corrective plastic procedures . Side effects are very rare, but pain does occur.

Norms of pain:
1. Pain when talking and chewing.
The rehabilitation period after the installation of mesothreads lasts from 10 days to 1 month. Therefore, when eating, talking, pain can occur. Muscles do move. And inside a foreign body. It takes time for them to get used to and adapt.
If the threads are placed in the chin, it is sometimes painful to swallow and tilt the head. Yes, and the fixing bandage delivers discomfort.

2. Aching pain in the puncture area.
After complete healing of the skin, pain disappears. It’s like any injection or cut – the epidermis needs time to recover. In addition, swelling occurs at the puncture sites, the liquid presses, which causes additional discomfort. With healing, the pain also goes away.

3. Pain when touched.
Bruising and bruising cause discomfort. Uncomfortable and painful to sleep. This is how the human body is designed.
Muscles, fascia, subcutaneous fat and blood vessels need time to adapt. They have to get used to the foreign body. Therefore, mild pain is the norm.

What to do with pain?
1. Cold can be applied for the first two days. This will reduce swelling. Compress with a disinfecting liquid for no more than 15 minutes and only with the permission of a doctor.
2. Aching pain can be relieved with analgesics.
3. Wear a bandage.
4. Treat puncture sites with an antiseptic solution.
5. Less movement and active facial expressions.

The intensity of pain is different for everyone. In many ways, it depends on the individual characteristics of and the threshold of sensitivity. Someone after 3-4 days is already fluttering like a butterfly, and for someone it hurts even after 10 days.

Severe pain due to inflammation or incorrect (superficial) placement of the threads.

But in any case, you can contact the doctor who installed the mesothreads and get a consultation. To sleep peacefully.
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GOOD MOOD EVERYONE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY REMEMBER – COSMETOLOGY SHOULD BE SAFE!

________
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