Any reassuring experiences of having a hysteroscopy under general anaesthetic?

[pikachu11]

Following on from another thread, are there any less frightening experiences with hysteroscopy? I'm having one under GA soon.

You get anaesthetic now???
Had one 12 years ago,no anaesthetic,had to be held down by four people,and bled for England after. If they offer you any anaesthetic girl,take it!!!

I never got any anaesthetic!!! Held down whilst I screamed!

It isn't. But if offered,take it. Don't have it done without,please!

I had a hysteroscopy a couple of years ago. It was fine, felt a bit uncomfortable but no pain.
I didn't have any anaesthetic of sedation (tbh it wasn't offered) because I was told it was a bit like having a smear and it was with added poking up my area 😂
I drove there and back.
It's nothing to worry about OP, good luck x

I'm sorry that happened to you.

Had this a few years ago. Took the next day off work to be safe but I felt fine. No pain, no cramp, nothing. And in all honesty the sleep in had under GA was the BEST sleep I have in years!!... I still think about that sleep from time to time 🤣

Mine was fine. I actually asked for a GA as I’d heard horror stories re awake ones and I decided I didn’t want to know a thing about it. I wasn’t long out of a c-section then a GA for breast cancer surgery then another GA for lymph node clearance then chemo/radio etc and I was still absolutely fine.

Honestly if the choice is a GA or getting it done with no GA then go for the GA every time. The side effects of a short, light GA will be nothing compared to the mind-numbing pain of a hysteroscopy with no pain relief. I went in for an appt with a consultant following some bleeding and had no idea what to expect. I was shocked to find out what he intended to do, although I don't think I had as bad an experience as some people I've read about on here. It should be mandatory to warn you and offer pain relief.

My surgeon (a man) said it wasn’t that painful and I would be fine without GA, I was not fine and they couldn’t do it.
Then had my procedure under GA and, though it went wrong and I ended up staying the night, I wasn’t aware of the pain of what was happening so it was much better experience.
After that I was put through it again without GA and screamed my way through it to get it over with.
I’d recommend a GA for it every time it’s not worth the trauma without, even if a GA always makes me uncontrollably emotional.

Wait how are you all getting this done under GA??

I had mine just over a week ago and I didn’t have ANYTHING offered to me until I sat with the consultant on the day who then informed me that it “might be painful” and IF it gets too much they can sleep sedate me but that would mean making another appointment and I have already had to wait a couple months to get this done due to me needing to reschedule and their the lack of female consultants.

I went through it without anything to help, not even a soft plushy toy to squeeze on like they do in Asia if you have having something painful done but not under any knock out anaesthesia ( I did tell the nurse they should at minimum provide this because I was squeezing my hands to the point of nearly breaking my fingers)

My process took about 15/20 minutes in total and it was the worst thing I’ve felt, they didn’t give me any information on the fact I would need pads after ( they provided their one though)

I must say reading this post is actually making me want to complain because I went through all that pain ( that they didn’t tell me about beforehand) when I didn’t need to, and to say on the day of “well you can have sleep sedation but will mean rescheduling again” is out of order, the only saving grace was it didn’t take too long.

All that said and done, I definitely wouldn’t have it under GA but sleep sedation I would had I known this was actually an option

Same! It’s nothing like a smear! It felt like a smear with barbed wires going up me 😡

You at least had a heads up that it might hurt, I didn’t. I was told why it needed to be done and that was it, it was only on the day of the consultant told me it might be a bit painful, etc but at that point I’m there in the room so I may as well go along with it as my pain and someone else’s pain threshold is different, but nah this one almost brought me to tears

I'm sorry that happened to you.

Mine did genuinely feel a lot like a smear, but a bit more uncomfortable. No real pain during or after.
I have had 3 children though so my cervix will be more open/less tightly shut. Maybe that's why mine didn't hurt?

I was just told by the doctor it is done under GA. I am going private.

I had multiple private under GA with a fabulous consultant, then they unfortunately left.

The next one, despite me describing how sensitive I am there, insisted on local anaesthetic and gas+air, while saying ‘we don’t want to hurt you’. It was a biopsy and honest It was agony and traumatising. I think they are beginning to understand that we’re all individual, innervated differently, but some of them are finding it difficult moving from words to actions.

I admit I was upfront with the registrar I saw pre-op and insisted it be done under GA or it would not be done at all. If they don't offer, then insist.

I had a hysteroscopy without GA and it was incredibly painful and traumatic, and suffered with PTSD for quite a long time afterwards. There's no way I would ever consent to having one again without GA, and I usually have a very high pain threshold. There's a big disparity between the levels of pain felt in different patients, but unfortunately you don't know what it will feel like to you until you experience it. Some people get off lightly, but IMHO it's not worth the risk when you have the option od a GA, which is very safe these days.

When I asked my consultant to check, having also heard horror stories, he was very much of the 'oh, we won't be talking during this, you'll be knocked out' flavour (and the GP was also of the opinion this was best done under GA) - there was no question of it being done without.

Mine was also private (I had tea and a warm scone after). And don't worry, I didn't drive home, my friend came and got me (and scolded me for walking down the the layby in the road to meet her, because she's lovely and was worried for me)

I think it depends on the person and until you have it done you don’t know how painful or not, it can be.
i had one last February (post menopausal bleeding) with only paracetamol and ibuprofen beforehand for pa8n relief. It was not for me, just uncomfortable from the pressure when they fill you with saline and a few cramps for a couple of hours after. I was apprehensive before that it would be excruciatingly painful.
I do think some sort of sedation or a GA should be offered. I was relieved that I didn’t find it painful and fortunately nothing was wrong.
Interestingly I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer (via a routine mammogram) 6 months later. Was my body trying to warn me something was wrong? Who knows? Anyway I’ve had surgery, radiotherapy and now on hormone treatment.
Wishing @pikachu11all the best

I had a hysteroscopy last year without pain relief (except for the two paracetamol they suggested pre procedure). It was extremely painful and I was in a collapsed state on the examination couch. I would have one again if necessary but only under GA. You are lucky to have been offered it and I would have no concerns about having it. Good luck

Yep. I was fine. Simple recovery time. Best thing I ever did. 👍

I had one last year (i specifically requested a GA, it wasn’t offered, as I has heard from
friends how painful theirs was) and it all went well. I came round from the GA feeling like I’d had the best sleep ever and had no issues afterwards and was ready to go home shortly afterwards (after a sandwich and short time in the recovery ward). Good luck with your hysteroscopy.

I have had five under GA, three with the private sector and two on the NHS. There all gone very well, like others have said they are very quick. A couple of times I felt a bit sore afterwards and twice I’ve had the tears but it soon passes. The sandwich, biscuits and tea after always taste like the best thing ever.

Felt absolutely fine from the instant I woke up. Zero pain, and mine was to have polyps removed. Asked for GA as was anxious about being conscious during it.

I had this done last year without any GA or local just Gas & Air. It's painful but bearable. You might feel a bit bloated afterwards but that's about all.

Will people just fucking stop telling us we imagined the 4 nurses holding us down, the gas and air that had to be administered, the hours in recovery because we couldnt walk let alone sit up to take some painkillers before we left, and the horrendous pain for days afterwards? Please just fucking stop saying 'Well I was fine'. This procedure is NOT FUCKING FINE. It is barbaric.