A LEEP (loop electrosurgical excision procedure) allows your provider to remove abnormal tissue on the surface of your cervix and, if necessary, test it for cancer. Your provider may prescribe LEEP if a Pap test and colposcopy find abnormal cell growths. The procedure takes about 20 minutes, and the full recovery time is about four weeks.
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LEEP (loop electrosurgical excision procedure) removes abnormal tissue on the surface of your cervix. Then, the tissue is tested for precancerous cells, a condition called cervical dysplasia. Cervical dysplasia isn’t cancer, but it can lead to cervical cancer over time without treatment.
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Your healthcare provider may recommend LEEP after a Pap smear or colposcopy confirms that you have abnormal cells on your cervix. LEEP is also a diagnostic and treatment tool for cervical polyps and genital warts.
Your healthcare provider will ensure you don’t have any conditions that may prevent you from getting the procedure. For instance, you shouldn’t have a LEEP if you:
You may need to take a pregnancy test before getting a LEEP. Your provider can recommend the right timing for a LEEP if you’re pregnant. They’ll schedule the procedure at a time when you’re not on your period.
Follow your provider’s instructions about how to prepare. Your provider may tell you to:
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A LEEP can occur in your gynecologist’s office, in a hospital or an outpatient setting.
LEEP begins much like a regular pelvic exam. Though, you’ll remain awake throughout the procedure, you should feel only minor discomfort. First, your provider will ask you to lie back and rest your feet in stirrups at the end of the exam table. A grounding pad will be placed on your thigh to protect you from the electricity used during the LEEP. Your provider will widen your vagina with a speculum to get a clearer view of your cervix.
Then, your provider adds a very dilute solution of acetic acid or Lugol’s solution (iodine) to your cervix to make the abnormal cells visible. They’ll then place a colposcope near the opening of your vagina. This tool gives your provider a magnified view of your cervix, but stays outside of your body.
Your provider will use local anesthesia (lidocaine with epinephrine) to numb your cervix. The numbing shot causes a brief, sharp pinch, and then a quick burning feeling, like when you get numbed for dental work.
You may also feel a racing heartbeat or dizziness from the epinephrine. If this occurs, it lasts for only a few minutes.
After your cervix is numb, your provider places a wire loop with electricity on it.
You must remain still during the tissue removal process. As the wire loop passes across your cervix, it cuts away a thin layer of surface tissue, removing abnormal cells. Sometimes, your provider will use a second loop to reach a little higher in your cervix. This tissue will be tested later for cancer or abnormal cells.
You may feel a warming sensation and/or a light vibration during this part of the procedure.
Finally, your provider will apply a medicated paste (an iron solution called Monsel’s paste) to the area to stop and prevent bleeding.
The procedure takes 10 to 20 minutes. You’ll be able to go home as soon as you feel up to it.
LEEP is very safe. Complications are rare, and the procedure can take place without general anesthesia. As with any surgery, you may be at risk of infection or bleeding. LEEP may weaken your cervix, leading to preterm birth in future pregnancies. Discuss any concerns you may have with your provider before the procedure.
The benefits outweigh the risks, though. LEEP is one of the most effective ways to remove precancerous cells from your cervix, which reduces the risk of cancer developing. It also has a high success rate in removing abnormal cells.
It depends on your pain tolerance. Healthcare providers use a local anesthetic to numb your cervix, so you don’t feel pain. But you may feel a sharp pinch or a sting when they numb your cervix. You may also feel pressure and/or warmth when your provider removes the tissue.
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Let your provider know if you start to feel intense pain at any point during LEEP.
You may need to rest in your provider’s office until you’re comfortable enough to drive home. This initial recovery usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes. Your provider will use this time to go over aftercare instructions with you. Ask them any questions you have about your recovery.
It’s important to get plenty of rest on the day of your LEEP. Follow your provider’s instructions on how to care for yourself in the days and weeks ahead.
During recovery, you can expect:
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You can expect the following restrictions after LEEP:
During your recovery, you may experience vaginal bleeding and mild cramping. Take a non-aspirin pain reliever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain relief.
It takes four to six weeks for your cervix to fully heal after LEEP. You can return to work or school one to two days after your procedure.
Yes. New, healthy tissue grows on your cervix to replace the tissue your provider removed.
LEEP is both a diagnostic tool and a form of treatment. Removing the tissue for testing often cures cervical dysplasia by eliminating the abnormal cells.
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In some instances, you may need a repeat procedure to completely remove the cells. You may also need an additional LEEP if abnormal cells return. You’re at a greater risk of recurrence if you’re infected with a high-risk strain of human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is responsible for the cell changes that can lead to cervical cancer without treatment.
If HPV persists, you may need frequent Pap and HPV tests to check for infection and ensure no new abnormal cell changes become cervical cancer.
It’s possible to have HPV after LEEP. LEEP removes the abnormal cells that form in response to HPV infection, but it can’t eliminate the virus itself.
Contact your healthcare provider if you notice signs of an infection or any of the following symptoms during recovery:
It’s normal to feel nervous or even scared at the thought of having a LEEP. Remember that your cervix will be numb throughout the procedure, so the most pain you’ll feel will likely be the anesthesia injection. For many people, the peace of mind that a LEEP offers is well worth the 10 to 20 minutes on the exam table. A LEEP can confirm that abnormal Pap results aren’t cancerous. If cell changes are cancerous, a LEEP can help with both diagnosis and treatment by removing the abnormal tissue. Be sure to discuss all your concerns about the procedure with your healthcare team.
Your Ob/Gyn is there for you throughout many different parts of your life. At Cleveland Clinic, our experts can help you throughout your entire journey.
Last reviewed on 05/27/2025.
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