Hysteroscopy - injured during hysteroscopy - please read

[JFT]

Hello, I'm new here - please be gentle if I'm getting protocols wrong.

I started this account on advice of a friend who suggested it might be the best place to share my issue.

I'm not a 'mum' (no children). I've not begun the menopause yet but am over 50 and have many gynae issues over the last 20+ years, been under monitoring and regular testing.

Last year, the scanning person told me I have: adenomyosis, several large fibroids inside my uterus and in the muscle wall, PCOS on my left ovary, and a fast growing polyp. She said why isn't your GP or the hospital doing anything about this?

My GP agreed action needed taking and that hysterectomy was the only solution as adenomyosis doesn't resolve with menopause. I was keen to go ahead quickly. But then the Royal Free Hospital discharged me on false grounds that I have elected 'private gynaecology'. I have never had private health care of any type and can't afford that. They then refused my re-referral from GP when she pointed out this error, repeating that they have 'information' I have private healthcare (not true).

So, GP referred me to the UCLH. They scanned and double checked and agreed all the same known issues. They also agreed I need a fairly urgent hysterectomy. But they asked me to come in for the large polyp (approx the size of a large grape 2cm x 3cm) to be removed by hysteroscopy procedure first. I couldn't understand why and argued why, asking if you're taking my whole uterus what's the point of removing the one polyp?

Anyway this is where it gets dark and twisted. The UCLH gynaes lied to me and informed me that a quick walk-in hysteroscopy procedure with no sedation, no anaesthesia, no pain management, to whip out the polyp and send it for biopsy was the first thing to do. They literally mocked me when I requested this to be done under General Anaesthetic (GA) and implied I was being completely unreasonable and advised that GA would needlessly put my life at risk for a minor issue and so they weren't prepared to offer GA. They booked me in for a walk in hysteroscopy and I was advised just to take ibuprofen and paracetamol beforehand.

During the hysteroscopy I was severely injured. It was conducted by only one of the gynaecologists working alone and a technician supplying saline solution, with one chaperone just observing watching me from the other side of the room.

I felt my cervix being opened up and it was uncomfortable but not too bad. I also felt 'rummaging around' feelings that were definitely painful but not horrific. Then, the gynaecologist told the saline person that she 'couldn't see' and to supply more solution, at the same time, I felt the most horrific searing burning stabbing and wrenching pain in my upper left uterus area. I felt as if I was being stabbed by a red hot poker at the same time as there was a tugging and pulling feeling. My uterus started to involuntarily contract and at that point I was unable to breathe. It was the worst pain I've ever experienced at 10 out of 10 (and I've 'been through' a lot). At this point I put my hands on my head in desperation and agony and the chaperone asked 'are you OK?'. Seemingly her asking that had the whole thing called off - as then I immediately felt the stabbing stop and the gynaecologist withdrew all the equipment from my cervix / vagina.

Afterwards I went into total shock and PTSD symptoms, my whole left side and abdomen was numb.

I asked the gynaecologist what happened and she said everything went fine and she had taken some small tissue samples for biopsy. I asked 'what about the polyp?' and she told me 'there is no polyp' and I was confused as it had shown on all the scans. She said there is definitely no polyp to be seen. I had such a bad feeling about her and I also had during the prior consultation, so I just kept quiet and left.

After this incident I went straight home and became chronically unwell and in an emergency health situation. I won't bore all the details but I believe my upper left uterus was stabbed and punctured, that my left ovary and left ureter and other adjacent tissues were injured in this. I was unable to feel any sensation when passing urine as my bladder / urethra nerves must have been affected somehow. I was in chronic pain all around my left flank, heavily bleeding, and was passing a lot of blood in urine. I had also aquired 'klebsiella' a hopsital acquired infection.

I was thrown out of A&E who refused to treat me and said I was lying about the whole incident, that they had spoken to the gynaecologist and she assured them I have no gynae issues whatsoever and she had given me the images to prove it (obv not true). They claimed I was a drug seeker and quite literally threw me out.

Subsequently had to fight for my GP refer me back to the Royal Free where following scans and checks, I had a 1 hour 45 minute sugery under GA to remove the polyp and scar tissues from inside my uterus. But had to wait many months in horrific pain for that surgery and am still now left in chronic pain and daily uterine bleeding (I've now been bleeding every day since July 2022). I'm being medicated with daily doses of mefenamic acid, tranexamic acid, and 30mg per day of Provera, none of which are stopping the bleeding. I'm repeatedly incurring internal infections - kidney / ureter, on the same side as the injury was. But my GP and every single person involved is downplaying it, minimising, and gaslighting me. If I wasn't managing my own iron treatment (high daily doses of iron, folate, Vit C, B12), I would already be dead from blood loss by now.

Am now waiting for an 'urgent' full hysterectomy, with lots of add on issues that would be in line with having been severely injured in the hysteroscopy. MRI scans have shown that my left ovary, ureter, pouch of douglas, part of colon, and internal spaces are all bonded and meshed together with scar tissue. None of that was the case before. But it is being explained away as 'endometriosis' even though it isn't. It's scar tissue and adhesions. My current consultant surgeon will not discuss anything whatsoever with me, including the surgery she already did, and I've not been able to have a single consultation with her - she's very clearly avoiding me to the point that it's laughable and absurd. I mean she is obliged to have appointments with me but she literally doesn't attend them and is playing such silly games. I'm obviously in a 'cover up' situation and so I assume she literally can't speak to me about the harm / injury but she has to do the surgery.

Even worse, other Royal Free staff have told me that there is 'no way' that I was injured during the hysteroscopy to remove the large polyp as this is not a procedure that can possibly happen as it's not part of any form of medical or gynae treatment and that no gynaecologist would attempt to remove the large polyp in a walk in non sedated procedure. They also say if that did happen then it's my fault for consenting.

I feel like I've been totally abused and violated. It's been barbaric and medieval. I feel my life has been put at risk and the whole thing was like one of those old backstreet abortions using coat hangers where women went home and died of infection or blood loss. I've got a solicitor looking into this but he hasn't actually taken my case yet. When they tried to remove the large polyp during walk in hysteroscopy, the UCLH gynaecologists a) lied to me; b) coerced me into something not quite lawful; c) botched it up; d) severely injured me; and now the whole of the NHS is trying to cover up what has happened to me, including my current surgeon. I feel conned and scammed.

Now I need to have this horrific extensive surgery that is way over and above a regular hysterectomy and in the meantime I'm really really ill and in pain and traumatised.

My question to anyone here is - please feedback any thoughts - have you ever heard of such a thing? Is it true that a large polyp would never be attempted to be removed by walk in non sedated hysteroscopy? If my solicitor doesn't take this case, does anyone know a firm that is likely to? Where do I get support for the trauma this incident has caused me (I feel quite literally far far worse than having been raped)?

Also I want to share my story as widely as possible to warn everyone. I think the NHS took a gamble on my life to use me as a guinea pig and see if they can cut costs and cut corners by doing gynae surgical procedures as walk ins with no medication or anaesthesia. I am so ill at the moment, I can't function, but I want to share my story and warn people.

OP "I think the NHS took a gamble on my life to use me as a guinea pig and see if they can cut costs and cut corners by doing gynae surgical procedures as walk ins with no medication or anaesthesia. "

Yes. I believe this happens quite a lot. I was subjected to a lot of unnecessary investigations as the result of a blood test. A GP friend confirmed there was basically nothing unusual about the test, but initially I believed it.

Obviously this is nothing compared to what's happened to you. But I am familiar with many "inside" stories - from NHS staff - and there are absolutely guinea pig things going on.

Further, I believe I was targeted for that particular thing because I'm in long term treatment for depression and anxiety. They thought I was a good potential victim. My further was also dying at the time, I suspect that added to the "good potential victim who won't question much".

your ASD might well have put you in the same box.

I got something vaguely resembling a verbal "explanation with apologetic tone" from a doctor who was smirking as she said it, presumably because they got some experiment results they wanted.

i'm so sorry for what's happened to you. I hope you can bring a legal case.

@Alopeciabop

I forgot to say also... what is it with the pushing of the Mirena coil!?? Wow

I've had it from every nurse, my GP, the gynaecologists, and the surgeons.

Well, I refused a coil for various reasons:

1. I had a Mirena coil once before, it migrated, it embedded in my uterus wall causing horrific pain and had to be removed in a special procedure; Never again!

2. My friend had a Mirena coil fitted. After a few years she started to feel discomfort and wanted it out. They (the NHS) said she needed to wait until five years was up for them to do it. She wasn't happy with this and complained only to be told that the 'rules' had been changed and in fact a Mirena coil is permitted for seven years now and so they wouldn't removed it until after seven years was up. She lost her mind. Paid someone privately to do it. Imagine having a painful coil inside your uterus and the NHS is refusing to remove it.

3. In my instance, I had adenomyosis, four large fibroids, scar tissue inside my uterus, and a rapid growing polyp. Why would I want a piece of metal and plastic added into the already painful mix? Would it not cause more pain and rub up against these growths and lumps?

When I was on ward waiting for surgery, I heard my gynae consultant ask every single person she saw if she could put a Mirena coil in them. So, what it works for everything, every single gynae issue?

HOW MUCH are they being paid to give Mirena coil I wonder? And why? I don't know anyone it's worked for.

Oh gosh I'm so very sorry to hear your story :(

I relate to this too. My mother had only just died shortly before this injurious procedure happened to me. I had just come back to London from after her funeral in order to attend the first appointment.

When I saw the gynaecologists they asked me how I was and I told them I was struggling with my mental health and trauma triggers. They even wrote that down.

I had the smirking too.

When I went back to Urgent Care after the injury, one of the original two gynaecologists was near the reception desk. I overheard the reception manager ask if she was going to see me (used my name so I know they meant me personally) and she smirked and laughed she said 'you've gotta be kidding' and then skipped off laughing she said 'I'm off to see my ward patients, urgently' as if it was hilarious to know she was avoiding taking my problem on.

Sorry that you’ve had to go through this. I felt in shock I think for several days after. It seemed medieval somehow, and I had to do it in covid lockdown times so wasn’t able to take any support, which somehow made it worse. I did think if this was on a man, they would use some proper pain relief.

So they knew your mum had passed?
The specialist who saw me looked through my notes a long time before speaking. Then he said "you've been put through all this and your father is dying?" And I said "actually he's died now".

He put his head in his hands and then said "I wouldn't normally say this but it is vanishingly unlikely that you have cancer. Given everything you have gone through, I feel morally obliged to say that".

I think he was pissed off too but there's a hydra of some kind in the NHS that is forcing such experiments. Meanwhile, I bet my bottom dollar that people with lumps, pain, general health problems ...couldn't actually get appointments and I had nine scans I think?

OP "When I went back to Urgent Care after the injury, one of the original two gynaecologists was near the reception desk. I overheard the reception manager ask if she was going to see me (used my name so I know they meant me personally) and she smirked and laughed she said 'you've gotta be kidding' and then skipped off laughing she said 'I'm off to see my ward patients, urgently' as if it was hilarious to know she was avoiding taking my problem on."

I wonder if she meant "I am not participating in this moral outrage" but that's how she expressed it to them, IYSWIM?

I KNOW!!? Like what the actual? It’s kind of scary. Can any GP, gynaecologist or sexual health nurse on here please explain this? It’s like they’ve been sent on a mission. But why do they. Go along with it? And what reason are they given to encourage them to do this?

Alopeciabop they get money for fitting coils and doing smear tests. I think surgeries get payments for every single one of these. It's quite a lot, in the case of smear tests.

if you go online you might find it.

I agree with your concept as I know about endometriosis - my sister had Stage 4 and needed an 11 hour surgery.

However, I didn't have any endometriosis whatsoever, this had already been established by regular scanning. The UCLH themselves gave me an extensive and prolonged scan less than a week before the hysteroscopic surgery and declared that I had zero signs of endometriosis. Obv because of my sister situation, I was asking them are you sure?

But I have copies of the reports and scans - the pouch of douglas was empty and clear, the left ovary was free floating and clear, there was no issue with my kidney, ureter, or bladder. Afterwards, I have this huge amount of scar tissue and bonded together internal parts that wasn't like it before.

Also, unfortunately as I was wide awake and not sedated or anaesthatised, I was able to feel myself being stabbed and burned, I could feel the knifing pain over and over again and see my uterus contracting - the gynaecologist has even admitted that happened - I could feel the stabbing going right up under my ribs. Also she had lost control at this point, she was saying she 'couldn't see' and trying to blame the saline tech, angrily asking for more and more saline before thank god the chaperone called the whole thing off.

Immediately after I had lost all feeling and sensation when I pee (it has never come back) and had aquired klebsiella in my upper ureter. My left flank was numb for weeks and hurt more than when I once got hit by a high speed car. Plus I've been bleeding steadily every day since. I assume I've been internally wounded and my uterus isn't healing up. The blood is the same amount all day every day non stop, it's nothing to do with hormones or menstruation. And it had never done that before.

So although I understand that endometriosis can bind together organs (I know all about it from my sis), and I suspect this is the excuse that has been hinted at, I'm still not actually diagnosed with endometriosis. I never have been. I didn't have the pain or the bleeding before, I didn't have the blood in my urine, and I didn't have the repeat internal infections, and it's in a very specific location. All of it started suddenly on that day.

I know I was seriously internally injured because I felt it being done at the time. I'm on huge amounts of pain medication now. I wasn't before.

Also one of the scan techs before my corrective surgery more or less admitted to me they could see what had happened and said she'd ensure I was properly pain medicated and one of the more recent A&E gynaecologists who examined my MRIs kept saying 'I'm so sorry what they've done to you'.

If it wasn't for all that, I could have been persuaded that oh well, we suddenly found a whole load of endometriosis that we didn't notice before. But they didn't. I've been in a cover up ever since and it's a nightmare.

Yes I’m sorry you are going through this.
10 years ago did they care if you were the right person was going through this prob not!

OP I would consider letting your local MP know about this as well

In terms of how you felt in the procedure, they do treat us like car engines.

One male relative had to ask them to stop during a procedure. He was offered sedation but not GA and didn't question it because he has kidney problems, but he literally had to ask them to stop a procedure after two hours of what he said seemed "completely uninformed" activity based around a blocked vein.

Again, I think his ongoing health problems made him a good victim for "let's see if we can do this without GA".

@Holesinmysox

Thank you anyway for your insight.

Now I am on (allegedly) a four week wait for urgent surgery. My current gynae surgeon is the one playing games and refusing to meet with me. So I might have to even ask for a different referral if this keeps up.

But she says my surgery will be booked in with herself, working with a colo-rectal surgeon and a genito-urinary surgeon.

Does this sound about right to you:

In her words, she says I need my uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix and part of vagina fully removed. My ureters are going to be peeled and stripped and have stents placed. She is going to 'scrape out' all other tissues (not identified) from the spaces outside my uterus and that I need a 'colon resection' (I didn't even ask what that is because I was just about to pass out from the other stuff descriptions).

She has said all this in the space of less than one minute and literally ran off, she point blank refuses to discuss and has not once attended her own pre-arranged meetings with me. She's once tried to wrongly discharge me completely, once downgraded me to 'watch and wait' saying I had requested that, and once wrongly assigned to P4 18 months wait. As it happens after investigation I was assigned 'very urgent' within 4 weeks but I've not been given a date.

I feel she doesn't want to do this surgery at all and is trying to evade it. She says it's the hospital admin doing it, not her, but they say (and I believe them) that it's entirely in her control and her say so. I don't want to alienate her by complaining about her too and then have my whole surgery halted whilst it's investigated but I have a really bad feeling about it all.

Nobody's discussing anything at all with me - not my surgery, not my recovery / care / mobility needs afterwards or anything. Not even the hormone issues or anything. I've tried to get clarity or information and they just fob me off, shut me down, or simply don't respond. So I decided well I'll just turn up for the surgery and then deal with the details afterwards, I don't know what else to do but I have zero support. If I bring a friend / companion / witness to the hospital appointments with me in order to try and get sense out of this situation, the staff make sarcastic or attempted intimidatory remarks or try to put that person on the back foot - or in one instance I was booked in for 09:40 to see surgeon and came with a friend, she left us there til gone 18:30 pm then whizzed past said she was leaving and she'd book me in again (which she did and subsequently refused to attend that one too).

I've had uterine biopsies taken without any pain relief or sedation. And it hurt. A lot. It's one of those procedures that you can't help thinking that if men had to go through it, then it would be done under at least sedation, same as a colonoscopy.

I had a Hysteroscopy in 2021 but I fought to have it done under GA. I have severe SPD from when I had my son 26 years ago, which has resulted in 8 major pelvic surgeries, so I literally can’t lie with my legs up in stirrups. It would cause me far too much pain and I wouldn’t be able to keep still. That didn’t stop the gynaecologist trying to bully me into having it done in clinic though.

Like you I needed polyps and fibroids removing. It wasn’t somethIng I really wanted done while I was awake, tbh, and I’ve given birth without pain killers. They didn’t want to give me a GA but I stood my ground and insisted on it. I don’t think if men were having to have a similar procedure that they’d be expected to do it on a walk in basis. All the stops would be pulled out.

I was, also, bullied into a Mirena coil about 14 years ago. I could go on forever about the problems that caused me. I was referred for an endometrial ablation but they insisted I had that first, despite me not wanting it. I ended up with ablation less than a year later because of the problems that thing gave me so they should have just done it in the first place.

JFT the surgeries you are listed to have are so extensive, there should be a full amount of questions and answered supplied to you about why they think you need them.

Colon resection is particularly alarming. Will you need a colostomy bag?

It sounds like they want to remove things to cover tracks on what they have damaged.

Your surgeon might be avoiding you because they know what they are doing is questionable.

you must have someone with you at appointments - not an NHS chaperone but a friend? Has your GP seen the full list of surgeries they want to do?

I have very loud alarm bells ringing.

I have to go now but hopefully other posters can point you in the direction of more help.

please, please do not turn up for surgeries without proper explanation of what is happening and why.

Thanks for this input.

I am super scared. The surgery has not been written or described to anyone anywhere, it's been verbally said to me in 20 second bursts over the space of three tiny interactions whereby Cons Gynae Surgeon is forced to interact with me. She tries to evade turning up in the first place, and then if obliged to do so, makes an excuse and flees the room.

It's written in half a sentence somewhere 'hysterectomy and colon resection'. I only found out about the bladder / ureter stuff from a different clinician (who also only saw me for two minutes maybe not even that) and says she'll see me after surgery.

If it wasn't so sinister, you could make a sitcom about it.

Gynae surgeon is meant to be one of the best available to the NHS and has good credentials and mostly outstanding reviews from private clinics. However, she was also held accountable in an extremely serious case for a 'catalogue of errors' that involved completely avoidable death of a baby and some 'never events'. So... :/

I had better sleep.

Sounds absolutely horrific, I'm so sorry. Hope you sue them. I would probably record conversations with the doctors so you have evidence.

Thanks for this and the info.

You're right it wasn't 'informed consent' in any way whatsoever.
Also I told them I was so dissociated and unwell that I didn't know where I was or what date month or year it was and they had to tell me which numbers to put.

That's not consent.

@EmmaEmerald Hi. Had a letter from the hospital for appointment in gynaecology but it doesnt say exactly what the appointment entails. Says if you have to bring your kids to bring another adult with you. To bring any medication with you. And that its best for planning for your children to be cared for at home should you require further investigations during your appointment.
surprise hysterocopy?

Im told i need this appointment because of unexplained bleeding I was on HRT for 3 months and its common to bleed between 3 and six months on HRT and i started to bleed bang on the 3 month mark. i stopped taking it a week later They are saying its because ive had a bleed after no bleeding for two years + Well thats because ive been on the mini pill for three years which has stopped my periods, I feel a bit gaslit

My dad died last weekend My heart is fucking broken He is the parent i was closest to.

And one of the injuries women are suffering is loss of sexual function. But they seem too prudish to discuss it and/or too misogynistic to care

@JFT Thats fucking horrific How are things now?

I'm so sorry you've been through this but not at all surprised. Gynae healthcare in this country is a joke.
I have suffered for 25 years with gynae issues, never been taken seriously despite being under the same gynae department since 2011 and having yearly procedures every year since (4 hysteroscopies, endless polyp removals, myosure procedures etc and never once offered a general anesthetic).
In 2022 I had a uterine ablation which has failed. Prior to the operation I had sent my gynae (couldn't see him physically due to COVID rules!), an email with 10 questions regarding the procedure and my concerns over them and when I saw him he turned to his nurse andcsaid to her "Oh, this is the lady who asks soooooo many questions haha/yawn!"
As I say, the ablation failed leaving me in so much pain, gynae just told me to take pain relief, no other advice. As he offered no other help I pleaded for an MRI which revealed I have deep endometriosis and diffuse adenomyosis. Since found out I should have never had the ablation it has forced the undiagnosed endometriosis into the walls of my uterus.
I've now been left on a year long wait for a laparoscopy and then a hysterectomy.
I am so angry that I have e been back and forth to the same gynae department since my mid 20's a d all of this was only discovered at the age of 50 FFS.
I despise the gynae department at my local hospital (my friend and sister also have their own horror stories).

I’ve sent you a PM. I have experienced similar treatment, I was 100% fit and well, then barbaric Hysteroscopy which was totally unnecessary, I begged for them to stop as the pain was off the scale, vasvagal reaction and they wouldn’t stop until they’d finished. I couldn’t stand upright, insides were on fire as if I’d been cut open(which is quite possible as they are now taking scissors to the cervix without consent) I lost all feeling from my waist to my thighs for many many months.
A&E, gynaecology said there was nothing wrong with me and that as I’d just had a procedure it would settle!!!! They refused to scan me. Completely paralysed from the waist to mid thigh including my organs which means I spent months totally incontinent, plus dreadful infection and they completely refuted it! It would settle????
finally a DR took a pin to my body from behind me so I was unaware and when I didn’t respond to it he declared nerve damage. 27 months later I have no feeling in any muscles or inside on my left side where my cervix is, pockets of numbness all over and my pelvic floor is annihilated. Zero muscle strength which is a terrible prognosis.
The gaslighting by Colchester Hospital because they’d caused the damage was excessive. When you’re seriously ill this is unforgivable, especially when they visit you at your home to do it. The NHS trusts are just like dealing with the Mafia.
I had no choice but to go into the private sector but took charge of my recovery. I will need physio for years as cut nerves take up to 5 years to repair, if they repair. Doctors thinking their god needs to be a thing of the past. Gynae have reached a savage criminal level in the UK and they need to be made to start treating women humanely, this requires everyone to complain heavily about their treatment to their MP, Parliament, GMC, PHSO, ICO. Healthwatch, HSSIB, and Patient Safety Commissioner. Police if necessary and finally go Legal. Happy for anyone to contact me who has experienced similar treatment.

Had a phone call today. i was right It was going to be a surprise hysterocopy. Thats why the letter was so vague.

https://x.com/Tiffywren/status/1847558233155625343