LEEP is a relatively simple outpatient medical procedure, by which diseased tissue is removed using a high frequency electrical current run through a wire loop. LEEP is commonly used for conization of the cervix to treat dysplasia, a pre-cancerous condition in which cervical cells are lengthened and distorted.

Some years ago I underwent this procedure to remove dysplasic cells, which I suspect were due to years of using a cervical cap for birth control. Before the actual LEEP could begin, the medical technician anesthetized my cervix, using a needle labeled "spinal". That was quite alarming, until I realized that it was such a long needle only because it had to reach so far. This felt no different from having my gums injected with Novocaine at the dentist's office - I just never expected to feel *that* down *there*. Once my cervix was completely numb, I was hardly aware of the LEEP itself. The machine buzzed and I felt the lightest of scrapings. The only negative aspect of the whole procedure was the effect of the anesthesia, which caused my heart to race as it wore off. I think we were in and out in under an hour.

Medical details from Web MD