Perioperative complications of an outpatient loop electrosurgical excision procedure: A review of 857 consecutive cases

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the incidence and predictor of perioperative complications of the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) in an outpatient setting at Chiang Mai University Hospital between October 2004 and December 2008. During this time period, 857 women were reviewed. Mean age was 45.1 years (range, 20-78 years). One-fourth of the women were postmenopausal. Eighty-one (9.5%) women were HIV positive. Perioperative complications were as follows: intraoperative bleeding, 29 (3.4%); early postoperative bleeding, 5 (0.6%); late postoperative bleeding, 42 (4.9%); and infection 37 (4.3%). The size of LEEP specimens was noted to be a significant predictor. Women who had a large LEEP specimen excised (defined as 20 mm or more) were 2.09 (95% Confidence Interval, 1.39-3.14) times more likely to have perioperative complications. In conclusion, outpatient LEEP is safe and has an acceptable perioperative complication rate, although large size carries greater risk.