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Original poster

Private Hysteroscopy

49 replies

laralou28 · 29/01/2022 15:09

Anyone ever paid for private hysteroscopy (camera put in womb) nhs appointment I've been waiting months for just been cancelled again.

OP posts:
Original poster
laralou28 · 29/01/2022 15:09

@laralou28

Anyone ever paid for private hysteroscopy (camera put in womb) nhs appointment I've been waiting months for just been cancelled again.
Should have also said, how much was it?
OP posts:
GorgeousGoldies · 29/01/2022 15:12

I’ve just had one on the NHS (after numerous cancellations). I phoned to find out how much it is privately abs it was £3000. They use a general anaesthetic privately, whereas NHS is local - hence the high price I think.

DameCelia · 29/01/2022 15:13

Hi @laralou28
Not much help to you I know, but I looked into it last year. Hysteroscopy and scan (which is what NHS required) would have been done separately at two different appointments privately, NHS they were done one after the other on different wards.
Our private health insurance would have paid so don't know the cost, but I went with the NHS as it was quicker to wait for that double appointment. The private appointments were quite far apart as they wanted results of one before they'd do the other.
But it definitely can be done privately.
Is it worth asking your gp to request the appointment again?

DameCelia · 29/01/2022 15:15

Local anesthetic on the NHS?! For a hysteroscopy? I got promised gas and air but offered nothing at the appointment as it wasn't available.
I certainly wouldn't want GA for just a hysteroscopy, are you sure you weren't thinking of a biopsy @GorgeousGoldies ?

Original poster
laralou28 · 29/01/2022 15:30

@DameCelia

Hi *@laralou28* Not much help to you I know, but I looked into it last year. Hysteroscopy and scan (which is what NHS required) would have been done separately at two different appointments privately, NHS they were done one after the other on different wards. Our private health insurance would have paid so don't know the cost, but I went with the NHS as it was quicker to wait for that double appointment. The private appointments were quite far apart as they wanted results of one before they'd do the other. But it definitely can be done privately. Is it worth asking your gp to request the appointment again?
No I'm not really happy to wait any longer. I'm not getting any younger and need to get to the bottom of problems. I think I will get another appointment on nhs just god knows when. They said they didn't have enough staff or consultants. I don't even know if they will agree to do the hysteroscopy to be honest. It's been recommended before I have ivf. I wouldn't be put to sleep for it I'm happy to be awake: been through much worse
OP posts:
Original poster
laralou28 · 29/01/2022 15:35

@GorgeousGoldies

I’ve just had one on the NHS (after numerous cancellations). I phoned to find out how much it is privately abs it was £3000. They use a general anaesthetic privately, whereas NHS is local - hence the high price I think.
General anaesthetic seems a bit extreme for what it is Thanks for letting me know approx price though
OP posts:
LadyGoddiva · 29/01/2022 15:37

@laralou28 I've had one privately at a London hospital (private only.)
It was covered by insurance. The total cost was just under £3K. That included a biopsy.
I didn't have pain relief or a GA.
A GA would have cost a lot more, obviously.
The majority of the cost is for the use of the facilities, rather than what the dr gets.

LadyGoddiva · 29/01/2022 15:38

@GorgeousGoldies With a GA it would be much more than £3K.

Original poster
laralou28 · 29/01/2022 15:40

[quote LadyGoddiva]@laralou28 I've had one privately at a London hospital (private only.)
It was covered by insurance. The total cost was just under £3K. That included a biopsy.
I didn't have pain relief or a GA.
A GA would have cost a lot more, obviously.
The majority of the cost is for the use of the facilities, rather than what the dr gets.[/quote]
Thankyou for your reply

OP posts:
GorgeousGoldies · 29/01/2022 15:43

@DameCelia I spoke to BMI Healthcare to get a quote, and they said that was the price with GA. When I queried having it without, the person I spoke to said that was the only price they had available - they could have missed something.

Anyway I’ve had it twice on the NHS - once with no anaesthetic, once with local into the cervix, both times with biopsies. I wouldn’t bother with the local another time, that was the worst bit!

GorgeousGoldies · 29/01/2022 15:47

@LadyGoddiva I guess the person I spoke to could have got it wrong, but that was definitely what I was told by BMI.

My husband has had surgery with GA as a day case and that was around £3000.

GorgeousGoldies · 29/01/2022 15:48

@laralou28 you’ll be fine without a GA, it would have been overkill for sure

Porridgeislife · 29/01/2022 15:49

My IVF clinic does them for about £1500 including conscious sedation.

Porridgeislife · 29/01/2022 15:50

There’s absolutely no way in the world I’d do it without at least being sedated. I’ve had a uterine biopsy and it was one of the most painful things I’ve ever encountered, and I’ve had the smorgasbord of gynae procedures and sorceries.

Porridgeislife · 29/01/2022 15:50

Surgeries. Not sorceries.

Original poster
laralou28 · 29/01/2022 15:57

@Porridgeislife

There’s absolutely no way in the world I’d do it without at least being sedated. I’ve had a uterine biopsy and it was one of the most painful things I’ve ever encountered, and I’ve had the smorgasbord of gynae procedures and sorceries.
I guess thinking about it it is best to be sedated or ga because if they find anything they can remove it there and then etc.
OP posts:
Original poster
laralou28 · 29/01/2022 15:58

@Porridgeislife

My IVF clinic does them for about £1500 including conscious sedation.
I'm guessing mine doesn't as they recommend it before I go ahead with anything else but I will have to check
OP posts:
LadyGoddiva · 29/01/2022 15:59

@Porridgeislife

My IVF clinic does them for about £1500 including conscious sedation.
That is really unusual as medically, sedation has risks and it's not recommended. The RCOG say not to use sedation for the procedure. I've had 2 biopsies, one done in the dr's surgery with no pain relief and it was really painless. The instrument used is tiny and taking the sample feltlike a tiny nip for a second. I also had a biopsy as part of a hysteroscopy and it was painless too. All women are different so I'd want the OP to know it's not always painful.
CointreauVersial · 29/01/2022 15:59

I can't comment on the price of a private hysteroscopy, but having had one I would dispute the comments about GA being "overkill". I found it unbearably uncomfortable/painful, worse than labour, and if I ever needed another (which I never will, thank goodness, seeing as I no longer have a uterus!) I would have gone for GA.

If I was paying, maybe I would be gritting my teeth....that's quite a lot of money. Sorry the NHS aren't coming through for you, OP.

SirChenjins · 29/01/2022 16:02

@DameCelia

Local anesthetic on the NHS?! For a hysteroscopy? I got promised gas and air but offered nothing at the appointment as it wasn't available. I certainly wouldn't want GA for just a hysteroscopy, are you sure you weren't thinking of a biopsy *@GorgeousGoldies* ?
I had a GA for mine which also required a biopsy - I was offered all options from nothing, to local, to sedation, to sedation and local, to GA. Take whatever you feel most comfortable with, don’t listen to what anyone else says, and don’t dismiss anyone else for their choice.
LadyGoddiva · 29/01/2022 16:03

@Porridgeislife This is the quote about sedation.

RCOG

Conscious sedation
Conscious sedation should not be routinely used in outpatient hysteroscopic procedures as it confers no advantage in terms of pain control and the woman’s satisfaction over local anaesthesia

Life-threatening complications can result from the use of conscious sedation. Appropriate monitoring and staff skills are mandatory if procedures are to be undertaken using conscious sedation.

SirChenjins · 29/01/2022 16:03

*On the NHS

Porridgeislife · 29/01/2022 16:03

All women are different so I'd want the OP to know it's not always painful.

I’m glad you’re wasn’t painful, but given there’s a fairly large public health campaign dedicated to traumatised women who found hysteroscopy excruciating, my experience was by no means unusual.

www.hysteroscopyaction.org.uk/

Porridgeislife · 29/01/2022 16:05

Conscious sedation is quite low risk for the majority of the population. I’ve had two GAs and four sedations in the last 2 years, with no ill effect.

As I said, I found my uterine biopsy excruciating and I’m not alone in that experience.

Musicaltheatremum · 29/01/2022 16:14

@Porridgeislife

There’s absolutely no way in the world I’d do it without at least being sedated. I’ve had a uterine biopsy and it was one of the most painful things I’ve ever encountered, and I’ve had the smorgasbord of gynae procedures and sorceries.
Totally agree. I had biopsy and it was horrendous I nearly fainted and my poor partner had to watch me suffering in the car home as I wanted just to get to bed.