Biopsy on uterine lining under G.A. (Retroverted womb) any experience?

[kissmelittleass]

Might be a long post I'll start from the beginning....I'm 48 nearly 49 and last October my periods stopped until March when I had some brown spotting and some left sided pain. I had a proper period then at the end of April and again about 4 weeks later and another one at the end of June with slight pinky/brown spotting in between. No period since end of June only the spotting now and then up to now, in July I started getting prolonged heavy pressure in the pelvic area that went on for a few weeks also low back pain. The pelvic pressure was unbearable at times it was a constant feeling of being full and needing to wee but after a wee there was little relieve. I was put on antibiotics but no let up so was referred to hospital which brings me to the biopsy bit!! I was scanned and all looked normal but was told I had a small amount of free flowing fluid in the pouch of douglas!! Whatever that is!! they didn't seem worried about it anyway but then they measured my uterine lining and it was borderline thick, apparently it should be no more than 4mm thick and mine measured 6mm. The doctor said she need to do a swab for infections and a biopsy of the lining but because my womb is tilted and my cervix was closed? she said after this made it extremely difficult and was beyond painful for me when she tried it was the most terrible pain. .The doctor said she was happy to bring me whenever I had a bleed if I did and to try again for a biopsy as it wasn't worth the risk of a General anesthetic!!. The consultant over ruled her and has put me on the list now to have the biopsy done under the G.A. because of what the doctor said I am now bloody scared witless. I bled heavily for 3 months after lletz 20 years ago and it scares me and apparently having a tilted womb makes it harder! Anyone who has been through this please tell me your experiences it would be much appreciated!

Are you in the UK? The measurement of the lining is only really an issue for women who are post meno- that is at least 12 months with no period. The cut-off point for those women is 5mm.

As this isn't you, of COURSE your lining will be thicker because you are clearly having periods, which are heavy or light due to being in peri menopause. During normal fertile cycles the lining can go up to 16mm.

I'm baffled as to why a woman at your stage of peri is having this procedure at all. It seems a complete waste of time. Biopsies are done for post menopausal bleeding or for more information is a woman has a thick lining and is post meno. They are not usually done on women having cycles and heavier bleeds during peri.

My advice and opinion is you need to ask for another opinion because the drs seem to misunderstand where you are in peri.

TBH I'm really shocked that a consultant suggested this. Do they think you are post menopause?

If you DO go ahead with the biopsy it ought to be straightforward. It's a very common procedure. I have had 2 both without a GA. I caught public transport home afterwards. It feels like a tiny nip for 1 second.

You may find that another dr is more adept at doing the biopsy without it causing you pain. You could have a local injection in the cervix, or wait until you have a period and that could make access easier.

It also sounds as if you may have vaginal atrophy and the weeing is part of that. Bladder pain or pressure can be caused by low estrogen levels. The treatment is vaginal estrogen cream that works really well.

Personally I'd question the whole need for this anyway. You don't have to submit to something.

No polly I'm not in the UK, their cause of concern so I'm told is that I had no period for 6 months (apart from slight spotting at the 5th month) and 3 near normal periods until they stopped again in June along with the pelvic pressure pain. They have not tested my hormone levels but they believe I am in the peri-menopause stage and therefore any bleeding after an absence of periods need to be investigated especially with the thickness of the lining.?? The hospital consultant said at 6mm I was borderline thick and needed the biopsy, so I presume he knows what he's talking about. I didn't know it would vary from one country to another.

No consultant here as far as I know would suggest investigations for a lining of 6mm in a woman who was still having periods (unless there were other things found on a scan which needed further investigations.)

The stop- start periods you're having is peri menopause. Your lining will continue to grow up to 16 mm when you ovulate and bleed. This might be once every 6 months or once every 6 weeks- that's what peri is like .

Here, post menopause bleeding is investigated after 12 months or more with no periods.