title: Loop excision of the transformation zone (LETZ) as an outpatient method of management for women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: our experience.
abstract: Between March 1996 and July 1998, 90 patients were treated with diathermy loop excision (LETZ) for cytologically, colposcopically and histologically verified cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CIN), at the outpatient clinic. In average, the patients were 30.22 years of age, and 61.1% of them were nulliparas. In 80 surgical samples (88.9%), the exocervical and endocervical margins were histologically free of disease. From the total of 65 patients with CIN III diagnosis, 58 (89.2%) had free margins samples. In the post-operative period the patients had a changed vaginal discharge for 16 days. A slight feeling of pain in the abdomen lasted for 2.5 days on the average, and most patients did not take analgetics. Moderate postoperative hemorrhage from the excision site occurred in 5 (5.5%) patients, and was outpatiently treated with electrocoagulation, with no need for blood replacement. In 65 patients (90.3%), the cytological control results were normal. During the follow-up period, 9 patients became pregnant, which resulted in 6 terminal deliveries so far; 2 pregnant women are about to deliver, and one is in the first trimester of pregnancy. Cerclage cervicis has not been performed on any of the patients. LETZ is a safe and simple procedure which can be done at outpatient clinics, it is relatively easily mastered, it is short, quite bearable for patients if done only under local analgesia, the equipment costs are acceptable, and the treatment can be used both diagnostically and therapeutically, since an adequate surgical sample is obtained for histological assessment. Cytological and colposcopical check ups are imperative in the postoperative period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical School in Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ljubojević
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Babić
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Audy-Jurković
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jukić
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hasić
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Radaković
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cubrilo-Turek
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ljubojević
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ljubojević
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures; D004598:Electrosurgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*