What is it?
It is the excision of a cone-shaped part of the cervix with a surgical scalpel.
When is it performed?
Cold-knife conization is very limited nowadays due to the wide-spread use of the LEEP procedure. A cold-knife conization is performed:
- When there is suspicion of adenocarcinoma.
- In cases of high-risk lesions that extend high into the cervical canal.
- If smears of the cervical canal reveal serious lesions that were not detected by the colposcopy.
How is the procedure performed?
The patient is admitted to the hospital. The procedure is done under general anesthesia. The cervix is cut with a scalpel and a cone-shaped part is removed, including the transformation zone and part of the cervical canal. Hemostasis is performed, and sutures are placed for the anatomical restoration of the trauma.
What are the procedure’s risks?
The risks from a conization are:
- Bleeding
- Inflammation
- Trauma to adjacent tissues and the vagina
- Fertility problems
- Stenosis of the cervical canal
- Increased chances of premature birth in future pregnancies
