Polyp - can someone explain this to me? Worried

[Worrieeed]

I have had a scan and been told I have a polyp on uterus. They said likely suggestion will be to have it removed. Will I need to be asleep for this? How long will it take to recover? I am a single parent with no support and not sure what I will do if I can’t drive etc. is it painful?

Sorry should have said I have the follow up appointment in two weeks but will be panicking until then so just wondering if anyone has any experience

I think you can do it without a general so should be good to get it done and walk out.

You can definitely drive.

Is it causing you pain? I had some before, not sure how many and they didn't do anything. I had a c-section for my daughter and when they were operating they cut them out. I am not sure if that is normal at all though because it was a private hospital in a different country.

Hysteroscopy to remove search pvs posts on this. I had GA out same day. Some people have sedation. Some suffer a lot with no sedation etc. You don't have to have this put without pain relief or GA

@Amoozbooze not pain but minor bleeding every few months. The person who did the scan said the usual advice is to have it removed… so I am expecting to be told this

@cestlavielife is GA gas and air? Is it really that painful? The nurse said that it was similar to a smear test but a bit more uncomfortable and then I ran out of time to ask about anaesthetic etc

There's a really good campaign on twitter about giving women the option of better pain relief around these procedures. GA is general anaesthetic. But despite supporting this movement, I opted to have a hysterscopy with a paracetamol and ibruprofen as like OP, I really needed to get up and drive my kids. I had some cells removed but I imagine a polyp removal must be mire uncomfortable. I found it fine. Unpleasant but not problematic. The nurses were really sweet which helped!

@Worrieeed GA is general anesthetic where you are put to sleep. But most polyps are removed while you are awake. They perform a Hysteroscopy which is a small camera into your uterus and then usually remove the polyp at the same time. It is painless for many people but you can opt for a local anesthetic which is an injection which numbs the area and makes things more comfortable.

It’s usually very quick and I find them less painful than a smear - probably because they give me a local. Absolutely nothing to worry about.

Sometimes by the time you get the appointment through the polyp has come off by itself.

Thank you

@Turophilic so it’s not anything sinister ?

I had a cervical polyp removed with no pain relief. If they actually have to go into the uterus- the consultant did put a long thing in to get a womb lining biopsy. It was uncomfortable but no more. A hysteroscopy also involves a camera, which I would assume is needed to remove a uterine polyp, else how would they know where to go?

I haven't had a full hysteroscopy but it would have been the next step following recent gynae investigations for something else, and they said I would have the choice of sedation or not. But as it was decided all was okay, I didn't have to make the decision.

Generally speaking nope, not anything to fret.

Picture a skin tag on your neck. That’s a polyp. A tiny little extra growth of tissue.

Hysteroscopy (camera) with a local anaesthetic in cervix. It's uncomfortable rather than painful. Worst part is they pump you full of water to inflate the uterus (which then runs out). Biopsies taken and polyp removed .. all done in an hour tops. I took some co-codamol before hand.

i had one removed under GA about 3 weeks ago, i was allowed to leave the ward an hour after i came round. the worst bit was i had to be on the ward for 12 noon and my surgery was not until 3,30 so lots of sitting around.

i opted for GA but was also offered it under LA but the guide says you should not drive for 24 hours

You said its ON the uterus- so do you mean the outside of the uterus and not inside?
Is it definitely a polyp and not a fibroid?
Just that its different surgical techniques depending on the location and type.

Had a polyp removed in outpatient clinic in about 5 minutes, no local needed. It was mildly uncomfortable for a few seconds. I reckon it was less uncomfortable than my last flu jab. As expected and is the case in almost all of these it was totally benign.

@Mummyratbag pump with water?? This has scared me!

Honestly not scary! I had a hysterosalpingoscopy and they spotted and removed a polyp during that, and I’d only had 2 paracetamol beforehand. These things sound much worse than they are. I went to the supermarket on my way home!

I had one removed and was awake. It was no big deal, similar to a smear. I went shopping round the Trafford Centre afterwards.

@Worrieeed - sorry didn't mean to scare you. They have you sat in a chair and water runs in and runs out. They gave me a heated pad for my tummy. I have had worse periods honestly. It's a bit intrusive (like a smear) but it wasn't painful. Ask if they will give you a local anaesthetic.. I didn't even feel it. Like I said, uncomfortable, but not painful.

They do tend to remove polyps is my understanding.

I had a hysteroscopy under ga much earlier in the year (out of the hospital in hours as outpatient, the whole procedure took 40 mins as I also had the coil placed while under) and if my fibroid had turned out to be a polyp it would have been removed. I had the ga as couldn’t bear anything going on internally at the end of last year due to now known vaginal atrophy.
Internal scans are my limit. I was back at work/doing daily commute after a day recovering. I’d say I just had period cramps afterwards.

You are perfectly entitled to ask for sedation or an anaesthetic if you cannot bear the thought of such a procedure. In most cases it just adds a little extra time waiting which may not be a bad thing if symptomless and fearful of hospitals.

I had exactly this a year ago. Same as you, mid period bleeding. Ultrasound showed a polyp and it 1.2 cm so advised to remove. I was given entonox sedation which is basically the gas and air they give you in childbirth. I also took a co codamol beforehand. My advice is take the sedation to relax you and take the pain killers. Sorry …and this is NOT to scare you but it’s nothing like a smear. It’s uncomfortable but bearable if you relax and breathe and think about anything else other than what’s happening. Most important thing is when you have your follow up, ask all the questions. You do bleed a bit afterwards. I had zero issue with them putting water in couldn’t even feel that bit. Good luck and don’t worry it’s really routine xx

@KaleQueen thanks, could you drive after gas and air? I am actually scared of taking any medication so my ideal is to just have over the counter painkillers and that’s all (I have a fear of additional stuff like anaesthetic). Would I be ok just with painkillers do you think? Could you drive after the gas and air thing? How painful is it and how long did it take? When you bled afterwards was it a lot? Apparently there is only one to remove.

@KaleQueen sorry for all the questions