Hysteroscopy + biopsy + polyp removal

[Woowoo98]

Just been put on the waiting for this to be done. I'm quite squeamish & dreading it.
Gynaecologist says I've a large uterine growth that needs investigating plus a big cervical polyp & I'm having irregular bleeding - which I presumed was because I'm 50 but I've no peri menopausal symptoms.
How have others got on?
Husband's offered to pay for me to get it done privately. It's £1750 but I don't know how much sooner it'd be done yet.
I came back from the gynae appt this morning feeling quite tearful as I'd gone on my own.
My son who's nearly 20 & is autistic knew I had a hospital appt, but was just concerned about where we were going for lunch. 😉

[PollyPerky]

You should be fine.
I had it done - no polyp though.
Are you having it with no GA?

Take a couple of painkillers first and put your feet up for the day afterwards. You may get some crampy period like pains but it shouldn't last long.

£1750 is quite cheap. My insurance paid but the invoice was almost £3K (London.)

[MrsG841]

Hello

Im a theatre healthcare assistant...these ops are very straightforward so please try nit to worry.

In terms of private...you can be booked in for the op within a couple of weeks from your consultation rather than months on NHS.

I had a consultation for a procedure in a monday and was booked for the op the following friday.

[Woowoo98]

I'm a Medical Secretary at an NHS Hospital & know the waiting lists are really long.
Just looked at the copy of the waiting list form & it says local anaesthetic. Oh my god - I don't think I can handle that in my cervix 😯 Wish I wasn't such a baby!

[MrsG841]

You will be fine....honestly

[pombal]

I've had polyp removed from cervix (big one it was) with no anaesthetic or maybe something topical.

Had hysteroscopy and biopsy separately with just ibuprofen beforehand.

Both were fine, I was nervous because I didn't know what to expect, but if I had to do either again I wouldn't be.

For me the worst bit was the speculum but if you're ok with that you don't really feel anything else.

[MBNL]

I'm 36 and had this done today. I have private medical insurance so had it done privately under GA. Never had any surgery and I get stressed for ANY doctors appointment! I had irregular bleeding for a year and a scan showed a suspected polyp. It wasn't an easy decision to go for this; I was a nervous wreck! But It really was fine; and my nurse said they hardly see any problems with this procedure. It's quick, the GA I think was super light, just have a bit of bleeding, tiredness and a tiny bruise on my hand from the drip. I heard from a doctor friend that when you go private they use more sophisticated (and expensive) GA which is gentler on the body. I heard from a nurse that female gynaecologists are gentler and better at doing these delicate procedures which leaves you with fewer cramps afterwards. Overall, I think I made the right choice....so far. I think I'd pay to go private if I could afford it, mostly for the GA. Hope this helps

[PollyPerky]

Glad you got on okay. But please- let's not be sexist! My gynae is male and absolutely lovely. All done with no GA nor local. Took 30 mins as cervix decided to be tight that day but not painful.

I was told by the nurse at the time that the drs are gentler with no a GA because they have to consider you more!

But in any case, it's not a big deal.

[MBNL]

My story about male doctors came from a very chatty nurse! Trusting your doctor is key if course. Glad your experience was good too. It seems very few people have negative comments about this procedure and the technology and experience is well advanced. Part of me wished I was braver to go without anaesthetic but I think this was best for me at the time!

[Twoweekcruise]

I had this procedure done in May. Hysteroscopy, biopsy, cervical and uterine polyps removed. I am a very very anxious kind of person and really got myself into a state about it, but it was fine, really not that bad. I had it all done under a local and was hoping to have an ablation done at the same time but the gynaecologist changed his mind at the last minute and said he wanted to do that under a general (something I'm terrified of) so I've now got to pluck up the courage to have that done 😕

[Woowoo98]

When they inject the anaesthetic in the cervix does it feel like the one you have at the dentist?

[YoungGirlGrowingOld]

Not wishing to worry you OP but I also had a hysteroscopy under supposed local anesthetic and it was excruciating. I was told that many women cannot tolerate it. I was literally sweating and screaming - would rather give birth 5 times than go through that again.

Unfortunately the only way to get proper analgesia with that procedure in my area was to go private, so that's what I did. I would consider the difference in pain management before choosing between NHS and private.

[mrsrhodgilbert]

I've had this done twice but without polyp removal. The anaesthetic was not administered by needle, it must have been a gel. I was very nervous but it was fine, honestly. It seems some women can't tolerate it and I don't know how much difference the polyp removal makes but I did have biopsies taken both times. That bit was slightly sore, I would say no more than that and the staff must be so used to nervous women, they were lovely.

[PollyPerky]

I am sure that some of the pain women feel is due to anxiety. The actual end of the scope is about 3mm- it's tiny. My cervix was closed (I'm post menopause though use HRT) so access took some time. I can honestly say it was not uncomfortable at all. I find the brush used for a smear more uncomfortable. If you go into this feeling tense and worried, it's going to be worse. If the dr doing it is patient and gentle, (and experienced) it ought not to cause pain; equally I know of women like me who didn't feel anything.

[YoungGirlGrowingOld]

Polly I am not generally an anxious person and I think my pain threshold is high . I got to 6cm dilated without noticing when giving birth to DS...I have also had cancer so I am not unfamiliar with or unaccustomed to unpleasant medical procedures. I would NOT have this procedure without GA for a million quid - it was excruciating. I find your post pretty patronizing tbh.

[PollyPerky]

Is there any need to be so aggressive here?
I'm not going to trade comments on 'being brave and how much dilated we were without a pain killer ' [weird]

I think it's important to give a balanced picture. I am not being patronising by saying that being anxious tends to create more pain, in general. There is plenty of documentation on this. I did not accuse you of being anxious.

Stop being so touchy perhaps?

[PollyPerky]

mine was private too. I could choose from nothing, a local or a GA. I chose nothing on the basis of a local if it got painful and a GA on another day. My dr initially suggested a GA but my view on that is it's more risky and far bigger recovery time. I think a lot depends on the skill of the dr who has to be patient.

[YoungGirlGrowingOld]

Polly your first post is a fuck tonne more aggressive than mine.

You may be happy with women being denied adequate pain relief for intrusive procedures, but I am not. (And yes I realize that's a whole other thread...) And saying - or even implying - "oh it's fine because it didn't hurt me and if it hurts someone else they are probably just anxious" does nothing to help those women (like me) who were left screaming in stirrups like some medieval torture scene. I have to have hysteroscopy every year btw so I don't take the GA risk lightly, but that's just what I have to do if I want to avoid my cancer coming back and me dying. Weird, huh?!

FWIW the consultant I saw told me there was "no way in hell" she would have a hysteroscopy with no analgesia. She was very critical of the practice in my Trust to allow senior nurses to perform the procedure with no pain relief, and I absolutely agree with her. I didn't want to mention that and alarm the OP, but since you have been SO charming and friendly, I will share!

[orzal]

Some women find hysteroscopy very painful (see Lyn Brown MP).
The GA is very light. I was back at work the next day after an afternoon procedure and felt fine.

[PollyPerky]

You sound terribly worked up over this younggirl
Of course I could muster by mates who have had exactly the same experience as me and who said it was fine.

Your posts are uber aggressive and rude.

Just because your consultant said that-. So what? Mine said the opposite.
Doesn't mean you are right or I am right.

Different experiences.

Go and chill, You sound overwrought.

[YoungGirlGrowingOld]

I am not overwrought at all but it's rather irritating when some ill-informed internet random implies I am "anxious" for finding a painful procedure painful. I have had more hysteroscopies than the average bear and I was sharing my experience with the OP to try to help her make the right decision for her.

I am anxious about staying healthy until my son grows up and getting decent treatment from an increasingly shambolic NHS if my cancer returns. In that context, it's patronizing to suggest (as you have) that I am "anxious" over a minor, low-risk, diagnostic procedure - I am not remotely anxious over that, nor am I some delicate flower who cannot deal with pain. However, I still found the procedure agonizingly painful and since the direction of travel in the NHS is to remove the option of analgesia for ALL women undergoing this procedure, I thought it was useful to point this out to the OP.

But carry on minimizing if it makes you happy.

[Artus]

Just chipping in to say that I have had a hysteroscopy plus removal of two polyps - no anaesthesia or GA. I am a total wuss but experienced no pain at all. No worse than a smear. I was home 30 minutes later and had no painful after effects. So my two pennorth is that for me it was much better than a GA. Plus my endless bleeding stopped within few days and never came back.

[Woowoo98]

Thanks everyone.
I'm having everything done tomorrow morning - they phoned this afternoon after someone cancelled.
I'm going to ask for topical anaesthetic.
I've explained exactly what I'm having done to my husband & he's been very laid back about it as always.
I'm driving myself back from the hospital afterwards, but I manage this after having steroid injections in my spine so fingers crossed I'll be OK. Still a bit peeved husband's not offered to take me! 😒

[mrsrhodgilbert]

Well good luck, most people here seem to have had little trouble and I hope your experience will be the same. At my hospital you get tea and biscuits afterwards and they don't let you leave until you feel ok.

[katymac]

Hope it goes well woowoo