[Clinical evaluation of the treatment of early cervical neoplasia by carbon dioxide laser conization].

One hundred twenty patients with cervical neoplasia were treated by conization, 78 with a carbon dioxide laser and 42 with a cold knife. Bleeding during the conization was 82.5 +/- 91.4 ml with the laser and 117.3 +/- 82.6 ml with the cold knife. The time required for the operation was 55.0 +/- 16.7 min and 37.7 +/- 10.2 min, respectively. With the aid of a local injection of epinephrine, peroperative bleeding was much less pronounced in the laser group (25.4 +/- 39.5 ml) and the time required for the operation was further shortened to 36.4 +/- 15.0 min. Six patients treated with the cold knife (14.3%) suffered postoperative hemorrhage requiring hemostasis, but only one in the laser series (1.3%). Forty-nine patients of 78 treated with the laser and 15 of 42 treated with the cold knife were subjected to conservative therapy. All of them were followed up by cytology, colposcopy and histology, and there was no failure or recurrence at either 8 weeks and 1 year after the operation. Unsatisfactory colposcopic findings developed in 9 patients (18.4%) in the laser group compared with 11 patients (73.3%) in the cold knife group. Specimens obtained after laser conization were satisfactory for use in histopathological evaluation. Conization with a carbon dioxide laser appears to be an acceptable procedure as a diagnostic method and conservative therapy for cervical neoplasia.