Hysteroscopy

Hysteroscopy is a diagnostic tool that looks into the uterus to diagnose and correct some conditions. This is a very safe procedure and there is a less than 1 percent chance of complications from surgery or anesthesia.

A hysteroscope is a very narrow device that is inserted into the uterus through the vagina and can be used with anesthetic.

You may need a hysteroscopy if you have

• Been scheduled for a dilation and curettage (D&C) or laparoscopy
• Abnormal bleeding 
• Issues with infertility
• Repeated miscarriages
• Uterine adhesions (Asherman's syndrome)
• Polyps or fibroids
• An IUD that has become embedded into the uterine wall

A hysteroscope can also remove some uterine adhesions or fibroids, or take a biopsy from the uterine wall.

Before surgery

• You may be asked to refrain from eating or drinking for some time before the procedure.
• You may need routine lab tests.

The procedure

• Once you have received your anesthetic, your cervix may need to be dilated.
• Your doctor will then insert the hysteroscope into the uterus, and may release a liquid or gas through the hysteroscope to expand the uterus and to see better.
• Any other instruments your doctor needs can be inserted through the hysteroscope.
• Your doctor may need a laparoscope to see the outside of the uterus. In that case, he or she will inject a gas into your abdomen that will expand the abdominal wall away from the uterus, making it easier to see. The laparascope will enter through a small abdominal incision. When the procedure is over, the gas is removed.

Afterward

• Your recovery time depends partly on your method of anesthesia. Local anesthetic has a shorter recovery time than general anesthesia.
• If you needed laparoscopy or if your doctor used gas to inflate your uterus, you may feel some pain, but it passes quickly as your body absorbs the residual gas.
• You may have slight cramping and bleeding.