Modern gynecology uses a lot of ways to study the female body. Throughout life, each representative of the weaker sex has to undergo such manipulations as ultrasound and gynecological examination. A deeper diagnosis can be carried out using operations such as office hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, hysterosalpingography, and so on. In today's article we will talk about one of them. You will learn what office hysteroscopy is and how it is performed. It is worth mentioning the indications for the study and cases when it is worth abandoning it.
What is uterine hysteroscopy?
This is a study of the genital organ, which is performed in the doctor’s office. Manipulation does not require prior anesthesia. However, it is necessary to pass tests.
Office hysteroscopy involves the use of a thin hysteroscope tube. The introduction of such a device is painless, it does not require the expansion of the cervical canal. Manipulation is very rarely carried out in Russian clinics. Abroad, this diagnosis is more common.
Indications for the procedure
Office hysteroscopy involves the study of the internal mucous layer of the uterus. Many women mistakenly believe that they do not have indications for this manipulation. But every third representative of the fairer sex is given this intervention.
Office hysteroscopy differs from the usual diagnostic one in that it cannot go into the medical one. In the gynecologist’s office there are not always devices and preparations for such manipulations. Despite this, the operation is considered necessary and useful. Indications for the following situations:
- incomprehensible breakthrough bleeding from the genital tract;
- frequent pain in the lower abdomen;
- menstrual irregularities;
- preparation for in vitro fertilization or cases of failure;
- infertility;
- control after abortion, cancer treatment, inflammatory processes;
- neoplasms (polyps, fibroids, cysts) and so on.
Limitations: what each patient needs to know
Not all women can undergo this manipulation. There are a number of contraindications. Before prescribing a study, the doctor must exclude them. Ignoring those leads to unpleasant consequences. So, it is forbidden to conduct office hysteroscopy in the following cases:
- genital inflammation (adnexitis, metritis, salpingitis);
- vaginal diseases (vaginosis, colpitis, candidiasis);
- acute viral and bacterial pathologies (influenza, acute respiratory viral infections);
- fever of unknown origin;
- 3 and 4 degree of purity of the vagina;
- severe diseases of the liver, kidneys and cardiovascular system;
- uterine bleeding of unknown origin;
- pregnancy.
Diagnostic and therapeutic hysteroscopy, which involves the expansion of the cervical canal, is not performed for cervical cancer and stenosis. However, office research is acceptable in these situations. It is only necessary to prepare for it correctly.
Study Preparation: Tests
What training does office hysteroscopy provide ? Moscow is filled with many private clinics in which the study involves only half an hour of preparation. If you turn to those, then experienced doctors will quickly take the necessary tests and after a short time you can already start the study (in case you get good results). If you apply to government agencies, it will take about 2-3 days to prepare. It includes the following studies:
- blood test for rhesus, coagulability and infections;
- a smear to determine the flora and purity of the vagina;
- ultrasound examination of the uterus;
- gynecological examination and questioning of the patient.
Please note that in private clinics in Moscow and other cities you will have to pay for the examination and the actual office hysteroscopy, while applying to government agencies does not imply any fees (except for the absence of documents from the patient).
How is diagnostic manipulation performed?
Office hysteroscopy of a polyp and other pathological conditions is performed in the doctor’s office, you already know about this. The patient is located on a gynecological chair, as for a standard examination. With the help of mirrors, the doctor expands the vaginal arches and disinfects the cervix.
Next, a thin hysteroscope tube is introduced. In this case, it is preferable to control ultrasound. But not all clinics practice this. Using the image displayed on the screen, the gynecologist examines the uterine cavity and, if necessary, notes its defects. After this, the handset is removed, and the woman can return to her business. The study lasts no more than 10 minutes.
The consequences of the procedure
After office hysteroscopy, the patient can go home. There is no need to linger in the walls of a medical institution. However, if you feel unwell, it is better to remain under the supervision of doctors.
On the day of the manipulation, drawing pains in the abdomen and minor spotting can be noted. This is not a pathology. Most likely, the doctor will prescribe antispasmodics that will help you cope with unpleasant sensations. After the study, it is recommended to abstain from sexual intercourse for several days. It is also worth taking the antimicrobial formulations prescribed by the doctor to prevent the infection process.
The negative effects of office hysteroscopy are very rare. But they do have a place. This is perforation of the uterine wall, inflammatory process, bleeding, scarring on the neck in case of damage, and so on.
Office hysteroscopy: reviews
There is an erroneous opinion that this manipulation is very painful and is performed only under general anesthesia. In fact, everything is far from the case. Doctors say that office hysteroscopy does not provide for the expansion of the cervical canal. This means that a woman will not feel pain. Patients who underwent a study say they felt slight discomfort in the lower abdomen. Unpleasant feelings persisted for several hours after the diagnosis. Therefore, it would be right to postpone all the affairs planned for this day and stay at home.
Office hysteroscopy allows you to accurately diagnose without hospitalization and the use of anesthetics. Most often, a study is conducted about infertility or failed in vitro fertilization. Modern devices equipped with the latest screens for image transmission, show a clear and clear picture of what is happening inside the uterus. Therefore, in making the correct diagnosis after conducting such a study, there is no doubt.
There are isolated negative opinions about this study. Women say that after the manipulation they had severe abdominal pains, unpleasant discharge with a strange smell began. All this indicates infection. Therefore, it is so important to comply with all the rules of preparation for the study and take the necessary tests.
Summarize
From the presented article, you learned what office hysteroscopy is. Removal of the polyp detected during diagnosis is usually prescribed after a few days. For this, a woman is hospitalized in the gynecology department and stays there from several hours to three days. Treatment of detected formations in the gynecologist’s office with office hysteroscopy is not practiced. Perhaps in the near future such therapy will be carried out immediately (during office hysteroscopy). If you are prescribed such a study, then do not worry and follow all the doctor's recommendations. Good results to you!