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LEEP Procedure Vs. Cryosurgery

Each year, approximately 11,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A number of different methods are used to treat cervical cancers, including LEEP procedures and cryosurgery.

  1. Identification

    • A LEEP procedure uses electrical current, while cryosurgery employs liquid nitrogen. Each procedure minimizes or completely eliminates the appearance of cancerous cells on your cervix.

    Function

    • During a LEEP procedure, an electrically charged metal wire cuts away abnormal cells on your cervix, while crysosurgery freezes the cells, causing them to die.

    Time Frame

    • LEEP procedures typically take ten to twenty minutes to complete, reports the Cleveland Clinic. Cryosurgery usually requires 10 to 30 minutes, according to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

    Risks

    • Most of the risks for LEEP procedures and cryosurgery are similar, such as dizziness during the procedure and bleeding or cramping afterward; however, LEEP procedures pose a slight risk for difficulty becoming pregnant later, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

    Considerations

    • Both LEEP procedures and crysosurgery are only effective for cancer that is noninvasive, meaning that it has not spread beyond the outer layer of the cervix, reports the Mayo Clinic.

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