A comparison between laser excisional conization and laser vaporization for the treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

One hundred twenty patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia who were treated by laser excisional conization were compared with a group of 100 women who had similar diagnoses and were treated by laser vaporization. Every operation in the series was performed in the outpatient surgical unit or in the office. In two thirds of the cases the procedures were carried out with the patients under local anesthesia. The parameters studied included time required to perform the procedure, immediate and delayed bleeding, postlaser stenosis, healing time, patient discomfort, persistence or recurrence of disease, and risk of invasion. The results of this study revealed few disadvantages to performing a laser excisional procedure. Immediate and delayed complications were less frequent with laser excisional conization. The time required to perform an excisional conization was on the average only 4 minutes longer than that for a vaporization. Most significantly, the laser excisional cone provides a large and excellent specimen for the pathologist to review.