Today, there are a number of pathological conditions and diseases for the treatment of which the method of curettage is used, or in another way, curettage, cleaning.
Curettage - what is it?
The medical term "curettage" means the cleansing of a body cavity, of any organ or surface of the skin using a special surgical tool - a curette.
The main goal of this surgical procedure is the local cleansing of the body from pathogens or affected areas. In addition, it can be used for diagnostic curettage and further laboratory studies of the obtained biological materials.
Areas of use
Quite often, curettage is used in the following areas of medical practice:
- Dentistry
- obstetrics and gynecology;
- oncology;
- Surgery
- aesthetic medicine.
Axillary curettage
This type of surgery in the armpit is used to treat excessive sweating. This is such an effective method that in 80% of cases a person forgets once and for all such an unpleasant condition. Of course, there is a risk of the so-called compensatory hyperhydria and some other postoperative complications, but surgeons can easily cope with any undesirable consequences, and the result remains positive.
The essence of the operation is to destroy the innervation of the sweat glands and their complete or partial removal. Armpit curettage is a minor surgical procedure and is performed under local anesthesia. First, the surgeon determines the area of excessive sweating, which, as a rule, coincides with the area of hair growth. For a more accurate determination, a Minor test is carried out (treatment with starch and iodine). Then, after the necessary tests and sterilization of the surgical field, curettage is performed directly.
The recovery period after curettage is minimal (on average 1-2 days), since the access area for surgical procedures does not exceed half a centimeter.
Curettage of periodontal pockets and teeth
For various gum diseases, often of an inflammatory nature (periodontitis), dental curettage is used for treatment. What is this and what is this technique? This procedure consists in cleansing the gingival pockets of food debris, stones, various deposits and affected tissues. These spaces are not physiological, but are formed when detached from the surface of the tooth. Gum curettage promotes their healing and produces a healing effect.
Types of curettage of the gums
Depending on the severity and depth of the resulting hole, two main types of curettage are used:
Let's try to understand them in more detail.
Closed curettage is performed when the gums are detached from the tooth surface by less than half a centimeter. With the smallest outflow (1-2 mm), it is preferable to use the laser cleaning method. For prompt cleaning, special tools are used - dental curettes. At the end, a tooth is polished, and antiseptic treatments are prescribed.
Open curettage is a more extensive intervention, applied with a depth of the periodontal pocket of more than 0.5 cm. The general principles are the same as in the previous method, the only difference is the direct incision of the gums to gain access to the deeper layers. After the procedure, the surface of the tooth, especially its root, is carefully polished, treated with an antiseptic, and the gum is sutured. Special therapeutic ointments or gels are applied, contributing to the faster healing.
Thus, tooth curettage is not only therapeutic manipulation, but primarily preventive. Carrying out this manipulation makes it possible to prevent the development of more serious diseases and to keep the tooth healthy, and the gums uninflamed.
Curettage in Gynecology
Among all gynecological operations, curettage of the uterine cavity is one of the everyday and widely used, but among other types of curettage, it is the most serious and invasive. The procedure itself is not so long and lasts about 15 minutes. A few hours after it is held, the woman is observed to exclude bleeding.
Uterine curettage can be performed both under general anesthesia and under local or epidural anesthesia - it all depends on the particular case and the vastness of the proposed interventions.
Indications
Curettage of the uterine cavity can be made for two main purposes: therapeutic (for treatment) and diagnostic (for making a final clinical diagnosis), and the indications for it are as follows:
- uterine bleeding;
- the remains of the membranes or tissues after complicated delivery or abortion;
- polyps;
- synechia;
- inflammatory diseases of the uterus;
- uterine hyperplasia;
- undiagnosed changes in the mucous membranes of the uterus (cervix or body);
- long and heavy menstruation;
- infertility;
- abortion;
- miscarriage;
- ectopic pregnancy;
- as a preoperative preparation.
Curettage Technique
In gynecological practice, curettage is very often used. What it is is well known to gynecologists. Let us consider in more detail the stages of its implementation.
After all the necessary general clinical studies and the exclusion of acute inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs and somatic pathologies, obtaining the patient’s written consent for the procedure, the uterine cavity is scraped. During the operation, only the upper layer of the mucosa is removed, which is independently rejected during menstruation.
Having laid the patient in a gynecological chair and having done anesthesia, the walls of the vagina are expanded with special tools, then the cervix and only after that they are transfered to direct cleaning.
Often not only the uterine cavity is scraped out, but also the cervical canal, which is called separate diagnostic curettage. The resulting samples are placed in sterile tubes, labeled and sent to the laboratory for further analysis.
Preventive measures after curettage
Within 10-14 days after the curettage is strictly prohibited:
- use tampons (only pads);
- to make love;
- douche
- lie in the bathroom or go to the bath (sauna);
- take aspirin or other blood thinners;
- play sports and carry weights.
Possible complications and risks after curettage
Although this procedure is routine, but with non-compliance with the technique of its implementation, adverse structural features of the organs or just a combination of circumstances, certain complications may arise:
- the release of profuse blood clots or bleeding;
- spastic pain;
- infectious diseases;
- inflammatory processes;
- infertility;
- perforation of the walls of the uterus or cervix.
Therefore, if after surgery you have at least one of the symptoms listed below, contact your doctor immediately.
Emergency signs:
- prolonged bleeding or large clots (more than two to three pads were used in two to three hours);
- pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen;
- fever;
- unpleasantly smelling vaginal discharge.
It is also necessary to monitor the nature of menstruation after cleansing and must inform their doctor about their changes.
Curettage: reviews
Many patients underwent this procedure. The reviews indicate that the curettage of the periodontal pockets helps to remove microbes under the gum, as well as granulomas, which are located at the root of the tooth. Many patients with periodontal disease respond positively to the procedure.
The recovery period after curettage of the uterus, according to reviews, is pretty fast. The operation is usually prescribed to women with hyperplasia and polyps.
According to patients, axillary curettage is a rather expensive but really effective procedure.
Conclusion
So, we examined a procedure called curettage. What is it, you now know. Armed with the necessary knowledge, with ease and without consequences, if necessary, carry out this procedure, sign an informed consent to it.