What is it and how is it done?

The transformation zone and the lesions are destroyed with a carbon dioxide laser that is aimed through the colposcope.

Local anesthesia is used in the procedure, which is well-tolerated. The doctor ablates the transformation zone tissues by moving the laser beam over the cervical tissue. The tissue must be ablated to a depth of 6-8 mm in order to also destroy the epithelium inside the gland crypts.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the method?

It has many advantages.

The procedure is done under local anesthesia.
Only the precise area is ablated. This minimizes the risk for premature labor in the future.
If the technique is correct, healing is excellent.
There is no significant increase in the frequency of premature labor in patients that have had this procedure, compared to the rest of the population.

The disadvantages are:

There is no possibility of a histologic examination, since the tissue is destroyed.
It is an expensive method due to the cost of the equipment and requires the doctor’s special training.