Hysteroscopy

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AIBU to think the NHS should offer realistic pain relief for this?

I am currently going through Benenden to get my hysterectomy because after 18 months the NHS is still failing to sort it. Had an appointment with a private consultant and first evaluative step is hysteroscopy.

Now I had this done on the NHS previously and it was barbaric. When I left the room my knees buckled. Staff were obviously all geared up for this to happen because there was a handy wee trolley there, just for all of us ladies leaving that room to lie down on when we collapsed.

So when the private consultant said I needed hysteroscopy, I asked if I could have some decent pain relief. And she said it would be small general anaesthetic as a matter of course. They wouldn't expect anyone to have this without it. If I didn't want it that's fine, but recommendation is to have it.

This is a different world! But why doesn't our health service do this? If you have a procedure with effects so horrendous that women routinely buckle after having it, why would you just persist with the same method? Why is women's pain baked in as an expectation?

I went on a 2 week pathway for bleeding with HRT. I have a titled womb or something like that so they found it difficult to do it. The consultant had a go and it actually took my breath away. I've never felt anything like it and they've messed around fitting coils before and its been okay. They had to give up in the end.

@Ladymuck2022 It’s very different from an internal scan though. A scan probe only goes into the vagina. A hysteroscope goes through the cervix - very painful for some of us - and into the uterus. Not only that, it isn’t quick, because it takes time to do the examination of the uterus with the camera.

I was out for 25 minutes for mine, a biopsy taken and a few small lesions which turned out to be nothing to worry about

I was not offered anaesthetic and found it extremely painful. The nurse who commented that I was "very nervous" didn't help.

Since i stopped HRT seven weeks ago i havent bled. I wont be taking HRT ever again. The risk of having to possibly go through this painful procedure (just in case) just isnt fucking worth it.

Yep. I’m exactly the same.

I’ve had three during OPD appts over the last few years, first two with small polyps removed and I’ve been fine each time with paracetamol afterwards and driving home etc.
third one was stopped by female doctor who stated that it was too painful despite my protest to continue ( was actively caring for my parents at the time and just wanted to get on and get back to them) and I returned 3 days later for a GA and they removed a huge polyp which luckily was benign - but I understand it’s not the same experience for all

The problem is that advice to medical professionals is written on the basis of the many women who have little or no pain during the procedure. Maybe they believe everyone else is imagining it or making it up.
My procedure resulted in me being referred to urology and the difference in pain relief (and attitude) was astonishing.

Yeah, it's so scary when you have that response. It happened to me many years ago having a difficult coil fit. Everything fading away sweating and nausea. I was still bouncing off the walls when I got home.

I had it with a local anaesthetic and it was really fine. I had a v good female doctor.

I did go home and sleep all afternoon though so I think my body was in shock. But pain wise it was fine .