Hysteroscopy

Never had one but is it similar to having a coil fitted? They hurt before I had given birth but not so much for me that I would have wanted a GA.

It’s partly misogyny and partly that the only thing that matters to the NHS is cost.

This is why I never take any medical advice anyone in the NHS tells me at face value - I always always look and find out what/how things are done in other countries - the US, France, Germany, Australia etc before I decide anything.

On the NHS you will only be offered the cheapest likely solution - not necessarily what is best for you.

It's horrific. I had one last Christmas and it was only because it was the holidays that DH could come with me, and I'm so grateful he did as I couldn't have driven home. I had mine in out-patients (for examination of unusual uterine thickening) and I was told it might be mildly uncomfortable but they had gas & air to hand if I needed it. It was excruciating, I cried all of the way through it and I think I usually have a decent pain threshold. I almost chewed through the mouthpiece for the G&A, and whilst the staff were lovely it has to be one of the most traumatic experiences I've ever had. I apologised for being a wuss when it was over as I genuinely thought it was just me being pathetic - and then I researched it later and I was so angry that I was never given the GA option.
If this was a male issue then they would be offered GA as standard but women are expected to just suck it up and endure painful procedures. It's like being in the dark ages, women don't matter it seems.

I had mine under GA on the NHS. The hospital rang me to schedule it and no pain relief was offered.

I asked some questions because, despite having unremarkable smears and similar gynae stuff all my adult life, menopause has made it all much more difficult and uncomfortable.

After some prodding I was booked in for the GA.

I'm in two minds about it because many women say it was fine and no one wants an unnecessary GA but I feel like the option of routinely doing procedures that might be so painful that you have to tell them to stop isn't a great plan either.

I was sedated for a colonoscopy but apparently they don't offer sedation for hysteroscopy for reasons of consent? I don't really understand it.

Thanks @MissHalloween and @Movinghouseatlast , I’m trying not to! Have a gynae appt tomorrow, I have awful lower back pain as well which is like endo/ cyst pain so hoping you’re right! Appreciate the support.

I had mine under anaesthetic.

I have had four hysteroscopies - two in clinic and two in theatre. I think I have a high tolerance for pain. The first time I read the leaflet, took two paracetamol and was completely relaxed about the whole thing, expecting it to be like a smear. The atmosphere could not have been nicer - two nurses asking what music I would like, one either side and each took my hand. I was a bit surprised but I went with it. I was put in position and had a local anaesthetic but chatted about Christmas and all was fine and then the procedure started and I have never known pain like it. I realised that the lovely nurses weren't holding my hands in a show of solidarity - they were holding me down!

I had to go back for a second one for the polyps to be be removed and that was scheduled for theater.

Then last year the symptoms started again (I am in my 60's so as soon as I noticed the bleeding I was straight to the GP. Again I had an appointment for the procedure in the clinic. I was terrified and called the surgery who gave me a prescription for Diazepam. So I was pretty out of it when my appointment came round. A different consultant and no nurses to hold me in place. We talked about the first experience and he said that he would stop any time so I could rest or we would make a different plan. When it came to it he was unable to take a sample because of the size of the polyp and it's position and he couldn't get at the womb lining so he didn't try. So no excruciating pain. He did say however that I would have to have it removed in theatre under a local anaesthetic.

I wasn't keen but when it came to it the anaesthetist put my mind at rest, explaining that the options they had in theatre were different from clinic and I would be fine. In the event the surgeon said it was not possible under local and so I had a spinal. It was all fine.

The only word to sum up that first clinic experience was barbaric. It was 8 years ago but it is seared into my mind and I can't believe people still have to go through that.

It could be fibroids, it could be polyps, it could just be the HRT. 90% of cases it's one of those.

Of my friends on HRT all of us have ended up having a hysteroscopy! In all cases it was clear. It's hard not to worry I know but the chances are it's one of the above things.

really worried about what this bleeding could mean as I’ve been on HRT for 18 months

I’ve had this three times all with a two week referral, for it’s been a mixture of hormones from the HRT causing the bleeding, my coil being too low and some small polyp’s and cysts that needed to be removed. Try not to worry, it’s good you’re getting it checked out.

As someone who has just had post menopausal bleeding and been referred on the urgent pathway i feel v lucky to have decided to use my private medical scheme through work. I also suffered v badly from
endo for years, had a previous hysteroscopy and subsequent removal of a large ovarian cyst and wouldn’t have considered this without GA. I will insist on it this time as well, I have a high pain threshold after suffering from endo for years, regularly fainting etc but no way are they doing this under local, it’s disgraceful, fully agree with PP comments that not enough is known about female health, I mean it’s only recently that endo has been classed as a debilitating illness. I was super lucky 20 years ago to have an amazing female GP who diagnosed and pushed for treatment ( as a result of trying to have a baby and being unable to!).
im really worried about what this bleeding could mean as I’ve been on HRT for 18 months so to add no pain relief isn’t an option!!
hope your appt goes ok today pp, and that you are able to push for GA.

I had a hysteroscopy on Monday, being on the two week pathway.

I took one paracetamol before hand. They offered me a local anaesthetic but when I realise that involved four needles and I’m anti-needle… I said no thanks.

I did it with gas and air. It was painful but for me, not excruciating, torture or barbaric to reassure women who are having this in future that it won’t necessarily be awful for you.

I don’t think a general anaesthetic should be offered as a matter of course because that is obviously a bigger deal than not having it but should be available for those that feel they need it.

The staff who did it were absolutely brilliant and said I was totally in control and they would immediately stop if I wanted them to.

It wasn’t a fun experience, but it really wasn’t a nightmare either.

i should add mine involved polyp removal and biopsy during.

If there is one thing I have come to realise after undergoing several gynalogical biopsies on multiple occasions for cancer treatment within the NHS, it's this:-
If they say it's painless, it's uncomfortable.
If they say there'll be some discomfort, it's painful.
If they say it's painful, it's agony.

General anaesthetic every time now for anything not described as painless - I've learned my lesson well - and my consultant agrees.

They also lie about recovery times. You'll be uncomfortable for a couple of days means you can't sit, stand or walk without pain for at least two or three weeks.

Also, stitches that don't dissolve or others that dissolve too fast, so you end up bleeding and having to be restitched (oh joy!) and subsequent infections requiring strong antibiotics that have extremely unpleasant side effects when you're already feeling like shit and at a very low ebb.

Yes, it's great being a woman! If I get my time back on this earth again, I'm coming back as a man.

You will meet someone tomorrow before the proceedure so you can express your concerns to them. They should tell you why you need it and at that point you can ask for a GA at a later date it's such a waste of money though, why can't they offer the options upfront? They are also very bad at explaining what the procedure actually is before you go in.

For the future, you can phone a consultants secretary and ask to speak to them about the procedure.

I was also given a 'refusal' mark because I asked for a GA. Atbthat point they told me I didn't really need the procedure but it still went on my records that I had refused. Bonkers.

Should add the first person who attempted to take an endometrial biopsy (with me as a patient with difficult obs/gynae history and with other medical conditions that introduced additional risks to the procedure) WASN'T EVEN A DOCTOR.

I had one about 8 years ago with just gas and air offered. The (male) consultant who performed it was extremely kind and sympathetic but why they don’t offer anaesthetic is appalling considering how painful it was.
40+years ago when I was shy and young I had freezing treatment for a cervical erosion. As I inched away in agony the doctor performing it told me it wasn’t that bad a pain! If it had been now I’d have offered to shove it up his dick and see if he felt the same!

I have been diagnosed with a small fibroid after having newly heavy periods.
My GP was unsure what to do with my HRT so said would refer me to gynaecology out patients. Anyway last week I got a call from gynae saying due to a cancellation they could fit me in for an out patient hysteroscopy the next day.
I was surprised as yGP said the fibroid was very small so I didn't know why I needed a hysteroscopy, the lady on the phone was admin and said she didn't know why I was having it but I could have it done tomorrow.
I said I was not keen to go straight in to have a hysteroscopy without discussing my options or why it was needed.
I was told if I didn't accept the appointment my gynae referral would be Sent back to say I had refused 🤷.

I can't bare the thought of having a hysteroscopy without speaking to someone and honestly not under local.

I had a hysteroscopy under general anaesthetic earlier this year on the NHS so it is available. Initially I turned up to have it without but as soon as they took me into the consulting room and got the equipment out, I burst into tears and refused to go through with it. At that point I didn't know much about hystereoscopies and hadn't heard any horror stories but instinct kicked in. They then offered me a GA at a later date which I agreed to.

I had one and polyps removed and also a d&c removal of tissue. I thought I was going to have local but then the anaesthetist said I should have general. So I went with it. I have never been in so much pain in the aftermath. My entire abdomen was blown up and agony. I couldn't walk or sleep. This went on for about two weeks. Eventually they gave me antibiotics but I had to BEG for them. It was insane and I will never ever listen to a gynae tell me something is minor and I was fine! I wasn't fine, I was in serious pain and distress and I felt like my body had been subjected to major surgery which it had - having pieces of your womb cut out is not minor. It disgusts me that women are subjected to this. When I had a "minor" uterine swab taken / not painful at all but I had a vaso vagal response when the swab was pulled out and I ended up on a drip and oxygen after tearing all my clothes off sweating profusely and feeling like I was going to throw up or die. I was completely out of control and it was terrifying. It took an hour for me to come back to normal. They knew it would happen or was a possibility. And just said oh it won't hurt. It didn't. But that vaso vagal thing when your BP crashes is very frightening. I know this is a thing for me now and I tell doctors . Even having a smear makes me feel sick after. There is no normal. Women should not have to experience or feel bad for their reactions.

I find smears excrutiatingly painful. i also havent given birth.

I went in to.meet the consultant ready to be all guns blazing and say I wanted a GA. She told me that she refuses to do hysteroscopy without GA as "it is barbaric". She said other consultants in the department do them but she refuses. What a great woman.

I had one a few months ago. Was offered a local but they said actually giving the local can be quite uncomfortable so I decided not to have anaesthesia as have had 2 vaginal births so I thought would be fine. The consultant (who I knew anyway) was amazing as were the support staff and they were kind and supportive but it was a lot more painful than I expected. The hysteroscopy was intense and the biopsy afterwards although quick was very painful.
I was sat in a side room after with tea and biscuits.
If I had to have one again I think I’d definitely consider a local anaesthetic at least

I'd had a failed hysteroscopy a few years ago when I had to get them to stop because of the pain. I needed one last year for post meno bleeding, but said it'd have to be with a GA or I wouldn't be having it done.

When I had mine about a year ago on NHS it was under a GA

I know 3 other women who had them, without anaesthetic, and all of them complained about the pain .. one threw up

My consultant just offered it, without any issues. You should insist.. all women should insist if this if what you want.

I had something called a “saddle block” … didn’t feel a thing