Association between loop electrosurgical excision procedure and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective: To assess the association between loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Methods: The databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of science were searched from inception to December 27th, 2020. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were utilized to calculate the association between LEEP and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Heterogeneity test was performed for each outcome effect amount. If I 2 ≥ 50%, the random-effects model was conducted, otherwise, fixed-effects model was performed. Sensitivity analysis was performed on all outcomes. Publication bias was performed by Begg’s test. Results: A total of 30 studies containing 2,475,421 patients were included in this study. The results showed that patients who received the LEEP before pregnancy had a higher risk of preterm delivery (OR: 2.100, 95%CI: 1.762–2.503, p