Lidocaine Spray Compared With Submucosal Injection During LEEP: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) is a widely used minor surgical procedure for diagnosis and treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. During the procedure, several methods have been proposed to reducing pain including submucosal block, paracervical block, and oral analgesics. Submucosal (underneath the lining of the cervix) injection of lidocaine appeared to be the most common methods used. However, from the investigators experience, there is significant pain associated with the injection itself. Lidocaine spray is an effective measure for pain control during minor gastrointestinal and otolaryngological procedures. It is simple without pain related to application. An objective of this study is to examine effectiveness of lidocaine spray versus lidocaine submucosal injection by comparing pain scores at various stages of the LEEP procedure.