A LEEP is the most common type of procedure that we do if your colposcopy shows certain types of precancerous changes. The goal of the LEEP is to essentially nip any precancerous changes in the bud and try to prevent these abnormalities from turning into cervical cancer down the road.
This starts out like a normal pelvic exam, using a speculum. In some situations, your provider may apply a solution to the cervix and again use the colposcope (magnifier) to take a close look at the cervix. Then we inject a numbing medication like lidocaine to help minimize any discomfort. It is normal for the numbing medication itself to cause a pinching and burning sensation, as well a “fluttering” type of sensation or palpitations. This is temporary and should subside within a few seconds.
After that medication kicks in, your doctor will then use a thin wire loop to remove the outer surface of cervix tissue and abnormal cells. We then use a device to help control any bleeding, along with a mustardy solution that kind of acts like a liquid band-aid on top of this. This can cause a thick, coffee ground-like discharge for a couple days, so don’t be alarmed if you see this on your pad or while using the bathroom as you heal from the procedure. We send the tissue to the lab for further analysis, and this tells us how frequently you need pap smears going forward or if any other procedures might be needed.
After a LEEP, you may experience some light bleeding or cramping. We typically recommend avoiding placing anything in the vagina like tampons or engaging in penetrative intercourse for a few weeks to let the cervix heal.
Often confused with colonoscopies (the screening test that your GI doctor might do to check for colon cancer), a colposcopy is a type of test that we might recommend depending on your pap smear results. This is a test that is done in the office. Similar to a pap smear, this begins with a speculum exam. Your doctor will then use some large q-tips to apply solution to the cervix, then uses a magnifying scope to take a close look at the cervix. Depending on what this shows us, a small biopsy might be needed. If that’s the case, this sample will be sent to the lab for closer inspection. This test tells us if we can safely continue to monitor your pap smears closely or if any additional procedures are needed to address the pap smear abnormalities. For a nice link that give you even more detail, got to ACOG.