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.
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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