Hysteroscopy without anaesthetic is a women's rights issue

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'Being a woman means living with pain!'

Ever heard that lie?

Ever nodded along with it, resignedly accepting some intrusive gynaecological procedure that causes you excruciating pain?

BECAUSE THEY WERE OPERATING ON YOU WITHOUT ANY ANAESTHESTIC?

I was told by the consultant, in quite an irritable way, that I I couldn’t cope with the ‘discomfort’, I’d have to have it done under a GA. Like I was making a a fuss over something so minor, it was embarrassing for him to witness it.
This is awful, dismissing serious pain as "discomfort". Horribly dismissive way to treat someone.

I fully support this campaign. Just to let people know though, they're not always painful. Mine was slightly uncomfortable and the (female) health care provider stopped as soon as I said so, until I was ready to go on. This is just to reassure anyone who is not able to have sedation.

Just seen upthread people saying that GAs are given for colonoscopies. Not necessarily and these are some of my worst experiences of medical procedures. As soon as you know you need one, I would advise people to ask for a pre-med or sedation, which makes it far more tolerable.

He said it couldn’t possibly still be painful. I guess he meant the local must have caused numbness...But imagine telling a patient they can’t be in pain. The arrogance of that still astonishes me.

Same with the male registrar stitching me up after dc1 was born (yes, the stitching that had to be repaired months later). He insisted that I couldn't feel anything because I'd had an epidural several hours earlier and he'd injected local anaesthetic.

Why the hell did he think I was screaming in pain every time he touched me, and dragging on the G&A? Did he think I was making it up? I even begged him to warn me so that I could take a good drag of G&A just before he touched me, rather than after I felt the pain, but he refused to.

Who the hell was he to be the judge of what I felt?! I'd just squeezed a baby out and this was ten times more painful to me. What the hell happened to patient-centred care?

After dc2 was born, I was stitched up by a female midwife, who treated me gently, with compassion and respect. She believed me when I said it hurt, and did what she could to make it easier for me - including telling me when she was about to put a stitch in so that I could time my use of G&A to best advantage.

It has honestly never occurred to me until this moment that this was anything sexist. I assumed he was just a prick. Maybe he was tired and ratty after hours on duty. Not that that's any excuse - I'd been awake for over 50h by the time dc1 was born, yet I still managed to behave reasonably (apart from during transition ).

But neither dh nor adult ds have ever been refused pain relief when they asked for it, nor told they can't be in pain.

Not a Hysteroscopy, but when I had a 'false start' in labor with my DS, I was catheterized (because I was slated for a caesarian) without any anesthetic. The pain was outrageous! The contractions eased so they decided to wait and see if I could go another couple of weeks. So I did.

On the day I went back in, they went to cath me again. I said, "Could you please wait to do that until after I get my epidural?" You'd have think I shat in the punch. The aide got all huffy about how this is how it is done and I kept saying 'no'. Finally, after taking it up with senior nurses, they let me wait until I was numb to shove that thing up my works.

The medical profession has no sympathy for women or their pain and doctors are distressingly cavalier about it. It is horrible that you all were put through that.

When the midwife stitched me up after my first birth, she told me to never let a male doctor sew me up, as he’d probably do it too tight to “do me a favour”. (80s.)

'Take an aspirin'.

I had one, was offered no pain relief or sedation, and the GP had told me it wouldn’t hurt. No advice about pain relief before or after.

I didn’t even get a pad bunged at me. I’d been told it would be an examination, not that they’d take biopsies which they did. Afterwards when I was getting changed I noticed blood dripping onto the floor. DH called a nurse who was very snappy and seemed annoyed that I hadn’t brought any pads with me. I’d had no idea I might need them.

Horrible experience. I’m glad there are campaigns about this now.

If a woman is post menopausal and has never had a virginal birth she is likely to be in the 1/4 of women who find it unbearable. Especially if she has a stenosed (very tight) cervix, and a tilted uterus. Of course, it can also be awful for women with other health and anatomy issues and women who've suffered sexual assault, CSA, birth injuries and other traumas. And any 'ectomy (cutting polyps or other bits out) is of course going to hurt!!

Obvs that should have read 'vaginal'!!! 🤦‍♀️

When people are saying they were offered no pain relief do they mean not even local anaesthetic? That sounds barbaric. I've had many gynae procedures including several hysteroscopys, biopsies, fibroids removed etc and although uncomfortable, local anaesthetic has been ok for me but appreciate that's not the same for everyone. I found each staff member kind and compassionate and kept checking in with me throughout to see if it was too painful, did I need to stop etc. I'm so sorry for all those who've not had this treatment. Though in the same hospital on the maternity wards I've experienced the poor treatment of women's pain. Recovering from a c section and all pain relief worn off, sobbing and begging for pain relief only for a paracetamol to arrive an hour later! The treatment and expectation of women to just get on with it is astoundingly sexist. Let's hope the government listen to the consultation feedback and start prioritising women's health

@SpnBaby1967

I have this procedure later this month, now you have all terrified me!

I was terrified after reading someone advise asking for a local anaesthetic, but I found having it without one was fine. My consultant (male) was brilliant, & I'd already been put as much at ease as possible by the way I was treated by all the department staff. The only sensation I remember was like a very mild backache.

Maybe it's the luck of the draw as to who you get & how your body reacts. Mine was done earlier this year, btw.

Just read some other posts here & it reminded me: I had biopsies taken & that was OK, too. (post-meno & no vag birth)

I don't know why mine was OK & other women's weren't. My commiserations to all those with bad experiences.

I don't think I could ever agree to this without anaesthetic.

At my last birth, I felt no pain, but I remember the feeling I got at full dilation, when I felt that all my insides were falling out. There was no pain, but it was sheer agony.

I can't even stand being jacked up for smears any more.

@Melroses

I don't think I could ever agree to this without anaesthetic.

At my last birth, I felt no pain, but I remember the feeling I got at full dilation, when I felt that all my insides were falling out. There was no pain, but it was sheer agony.

I can't even stand being jacked up for smears any more.

The vast majority of women are fine with a couple of paracetamol. That is not to say that some women don’t have a worse experience, or that GA shouldn’t be offered, but most really don’t need it.

@Melroses

I don't think I could ever agree to this without anaesthetic.

At my last birth, I felt no pain, but I remember the feeling I got at full dilation, when I felt that all my insides were falling out. There was no pain, but it was sheer agony.

I can't even stand being jacked up for smears any more.

Then insist on a GA. You know you best. You know if you're 'the vast majority of women'. I have PTSD. I cop attitude about it all the time from unprofessional dickheads who don't understand or want to understand the condition. Thankfully I'm not the bashful type. I know what works for me and will simply will not. If you're ever in that situation, stand your ground.

Apparently, a quarter of women experience a lot of pain, so not really a vast majority.

I doubt paracetamol will make any difference.

It is not pain, it is the very unpleasant feeling of your insides being manipulated or in this case filled with water too.

I have had extensive exams for prolapse and I don't think I would do that again either.

@Melroses

I doubt paracetamol will make any difference.

It is not pain, it is the very unpleasant feeling of your insides being manipulated or in this case filled with water too.

I have had extensive exams for prolapse and I don't think I would do that again either.

Paracetamol definitely addresses uterine cramping.

Well, there you go, Melroses, this is the attitude you'll come up against. 'I have psychological issues regarding no anaesthetic.' 'Oh, don't you worry, paracetamol will sort it.' 'I've got diagnosed complex PTSD and am under care of a consultant psychiatrist.' 'That's okay, you'll be fine with just gas & air . . . '

Never mind your telling people that with your history the fucking paracetamol isn't going to cut it, you just don't know your pretty little head.

@osbertthesyrianhamster

Well, there you go, Melroses, this is the attitude you'll come up against. 'I have psychological issues regarding no anaesthetic.' 'Oh, don't you worry, paracetamol will sort it.' 'I've got diagnosed complex PTSD and am under care of a consultant psychiatrist.' 'That's okay, you'll be fine with just gas & air . . . '

Never mind your telling people that with your history the fucking paracetamol isn't going to cut it, you just don't know your pretty little head.

Calm down! All Lemon said was that paracetamol helped her. As it does many other women. Melrose said she ‘doubted’ paracetamol would help - this implies she hasn’t actually tried it. No one is trying to minimise someone else’s experience here.

It is minimising though when people are sharing their traumatic and painful experiences and the response is effectively a shrug and "well, most women don't have that experience and paracetamol is enough".

Melrose said she ‘doubted’ paracetamol would help - this implies she hasn’t actually tried it. No one is trying to minimise someone else’s experience here.

Of course I have used paracetamol in the past for uterine cramps. I am a grown woman. I only ever had problems with uterine cramps in the 1980s when I went from using asprin to paracetamol, as was the advice at the time. Paracetamol has a different biochemical pathway according to my local pharmacist and ibuprofen or codeine is often better.

Anyway, as I said, I doubt paracetamol will help with the feelings of having one's insides manipulated because it does not actually make your insides go numb. It is not the pain that is the problem. The feeling alone can be excruciating and some women go into shock as a result.

And as has been hinted above, I probably have some PTSD after not being listened to by HCP during an out of control birth.

I tolerated a hysteroscopy with biopsy very well and am booked in for a myosure for fibroid removal. Does anyone have any experience of this? I was offered the choice between this and a general anaesthetic and I tend to avoid general if I have the option, but am now second guessing myself.

No, it’s not minimising which is why there is the option of anaesthetic.
The truth remains that for the majority the procedure is safest and simplest without anaesthetic. There is no significant difference in pain between paracetamol an hour beforehand and opiates. There is no benefit to the use of conscious sedation.

By majority, I mean the 94% of women undergoing the procedure who find it acceptable.

For those who, for whatever reason, don’t want or cannot tolerate it well, there is an alternative of a GA. The GA should not be assumed to be better for all women as it does present additional risk factors and is less desirable for many than a quick outpatient procedure.

Some women do not tolerate the procedure at all. They can have a GA and have it done as a day case. That should be explained as part of the booking process. It’s not really a women’s rights issue; more a patient consent issue.

It is indeed a women's rights issue. Women's pain is consistently minimised. Our voices not heard. It is misogyny in action.