Hysteroscopy

[honeyandbutterontoast]

I’ve been today for an ultrasound and need to go to hospital next week for a Hysteroscopy. After reading about it I would like it done under general. Apparently I still need to attend the appointment next week where the nurse will “discuss my options”, it sounded very much like when I’m there I will be pressured into having it done at the appointment.

Any advice please. I’m feeling very upset at having to go through all this, I have nobody who can go with me if I end up having to get it done next week.

Honestly they are no worse than a smear , I’ve had a couple recently as part of consultation and only issue I had was I felt a bit irritated afterwards from the gel they used but that passed quickly - I personally wouldn’t risk a general for such a minor procedure and the recovery will also be worse

I have had two but only under a GA. I would definitely not have one awake. You will get a mix of answers here and ultimately it is up to you. Do not feel pressured.
I have heard some horror stories and then there are others that don't find them a big deal. I was not even attempting it without a GA.
Best of luck.

I had it with a local. I was worried as haven't given birth or even had a coil, but the local anaesthetic made it painless. They were all very kind and said if I wanted to stop at any point I could, and get booked in for a general.
Tbh it was the kindness and consideration that made the difference.

If you feel a GA would be better for you, then insist on it. Other's experiences will not necessarily be yours. Do not be pressurised, it's easy for the medics to brush off any concerns you may have. Empower yourself.

The "easy" experience of hysteroscopy without GA is like those who can undergo a gastric endoscopy with no sedation. Some can (very few I reckon) and some cannot.

Be your own advocate.

I have read on here and other places that they don’t stop, that women are forced to carry on and traumatised after.

Ive got trauma from rape and sexual abuse and the thought of having it done is already making me feel unwell.

As PP say, it is a mixed bag. I had a GA but was in agony for a week after. I know someone else who was totally fine straight after (GA) and another who wasn’t given the option of a GA and was traumatised by a very painful experience. Someone else said on here that it was no worse than a smear. You can’t know about pain levels until it happens. But based on your previous trauma, I would share this information (to whatever degree you feel comfortable) and insist on a GA if that’s what you decide you’d prefer. Don’t be pressured by the nurse into something that may add to your trauma.

I've just got home after hysteroscopy and Mirena change and it was significantly worse than a smear for me under local, am in bed feeling sorry for myself, but think I'll be ok by tomorrow. I wasn't offered GA but it wouldn't have felt necessary for the duration and severity of the procedure I had. You must do what you feel comfortable with, and your history means you need a conversation with your gyne to make sure you're as happy as you can be about it.

Hey, please request a general don't let them pressure you. I had a hysteroscopy for polyp removal, I tried first without a general and I found it extremely painful. I told them to stop and they did. They offered it to me under general, the nurses were very understanding. Shame about my consultant who was very dismissive.
Anyway, getting it done under general was fine, the worst bit was having to wait around with no food.

I had one for an embedded coil and couldn’t cope with the pain. Had actual contractions, so had to stop. Had it removed following week under general. Please don’t be fobbed off. Everyone reacts differently, but I nearly passed out.

I had one which was ALOT worse than a smear

If you want it under GA - Simply refuse to have it on the day of your original appoitment
Go in with the mindset, ‘I am NOT having anything done today’

I am very close to a woman who has needed a hysteroscopy, and learned a lot about that procedure from her, Some of what I learned might be helpful, so I decided to post on your thread even though I am a man. Before undergoing the procedure, the aforementioned woman informed herself thoroughly about it, and she then explained her me in some detail.

What she was told is that although some women tolerate it very well, apparently that particular procedure is, on average, rated as being the single most painful GYN procedure that can be done on an outpatient basis. The majority of women tolerate it but a significant minority need to ask for it to be stopped midway through due to the discomfort, and it is therefore 100% reasonable for any woman to say they want it done under GA. The main disadvantages of GA are that you might need to wait longer to have it done, and if there is a polypectomy happening during the hysteroscopy then there is also some increase in the risk of uterine perforation, although that risk still remains very low.

Despite the disadvantages, I would hope you can just tell the nurse that you would not be able to tolerate this under local and need this to be done under GA. If the nurse then persists in any way, for instance by asking you to "try" / by claiming they can stop the procedure at any point, you might then consider telling her (hopefully it will be a female nurse!) something like "you are making me very uncomfortable, I need this done under GA for personal reasons, and I do not wish to discuss it any further". If the nurse is not a complete idiot, she should then hopefully close the discussion without demanding further details.

Please accept my apologies for posting here despite being a man. I am trying to be helpful. If you find this unhelpful and want my post withdrawn, just let me know and I will report myself to Mumsnet, or you can report it for me.

I had mine under GA, it is your right to insist that you have GA if you so choose OP. I had to attend an appointment in gynae to say I wanted a GA, they didn’t pressurise me otherwise and I had to wait an extra two weeks to get it done. I did have some small polyps removed at the same time which may not have been possible without the GA anyway. I also got them to do my smear at the same time. GA was definitely the right choice for me. You have to wait a few hours after the procedure before you can go home and someone else has to drive you home. Try not to worry, the odds of anything tricky being found really are very low.

I had a similar meeting before mine. I said that for very personal reasons I wasn’t prepared to be awake for the procedure. They didn’t try and pressurise me to accept an alternative and I had a GA not long afterwards. Best thing ever - I was in and out in no time, no problems whatsoever with recovery, and they did a biopsy while I was under. I was back on the ward having tea and sandwiches before I knew it.

Stand your ground, you don’t have to explain yourself - if they push you just repeat ‘for personal reasons that I don’t feel comfortable discussing I want a GA’. You are fully entitled to one.

I think the statistics are that about a third of women find them unbearable, and tisk factors for this are not having had a vaginal birth, a history of painful periods and sexual trauma of some kind. Based on that, I went in to my appointment very prepared to insist and fight if necessary for a GA.

The gynaecologist actually said that she refuses to do the procedure without GA as its brutal!

The GA was great for me, everyone was so friendly and caring. I was out after around 2 hours. Very little bleeding afterwards and I was right as rain the next day.

You must insist on what you want. If you have had trauma in the past tell them- I did and the gynaecologist was so understanding. I think it's better to say it upfront rather than saying you don't want to discuss it.

I had this done and was quite fearful in advance, nurse told me it would not be worse than having a Coil fitted, I have had 4 fitted in my life and 2 vaginal births. I can honestly say it was like having a smear over and done with 10 mins and I was dreading it. Please don’t get too worried but do what’s right for you.

Why did your nurse tell you that? That’s inaccurate - for many women it’s far worse than having a coil fitted. Misinformation/disinformation is not helpful - women must be given the facts and allowed to make their own decisions.

I second this. I’ve had two and I found them uncomfortable but not painful.

Same here OP.

Saw the gynae yesterday and refused a hysteroscopy without a GA so I'm booked in for a pre assessment on Friday and will wait for an appointment for the procedure.

The consultant was absolutely fine about it.

I've read enough horror stories on mumsnet to go through with it without a GA.

@Smleps And again, for many women they are incredibly painful. Women who have experienced sexual trauma may also decide they want a GA - and that is absolutely their right.

for you

For many women, me included, they are extremely painful. I would never have another one without general anaesthetic.

Given your history, I really hope that they do not try to pressure you.
The technician doing my transvaginal scan beforehand could see how uncomfortable it was making me and confirmed that there was no way I would be able to cope with a hysteroscopy whilst awake.
My own experience has been documented on other threads but suffice to say, general anaesthetic was the only way I was prepared to undergo the procedure and it was definitely the best thing for me.
I'm sorry that you feel stressed before you even get to the appointment, perhaps you could write out a statement to take with you.
I'm thinking along the lines of 'I have considered my options for this procedure and given my personal history, I would like you to arrange for me to have it under GA. Please do not distress me further by trying to persuade me otherwise'.

I had a hysteroscopy and polyp removal in April. I went in prepared, with the mindset that I wanted to try and get through it but would ask for it to stop if it was too much.

i needed to do it in order to start ivf, and we had been waiting for 6 months by this point so wanted to try it.

i had 4 injections of local anaesthetic, this hurt and did make wince and say ow, but it was tolerable.

the problem for me was when he couldn’t get the camera through my cervix so tried to manually dilate me, the pain was horrendous I won’t lie. It triggered a vasovagal response, the room closed in, I lost feeling in my arms and legs and I felt really sick. I asked him to stop, and they gave me 5-10 mins to recover. I had an honest conversation about whether I could continue and decided that the risk of waiting to have it done under GA wasn’t worth it for me and I decided to give it another go, albeit with a smaller camera. Still painful and crampy but nowhere near as bad as before, and I was able to persevere and have the polyps removed. It did feel weird when he pumped me with water but it wasn’t horrendous. It was worth it because the consultant said the polyp was exactly where an embryo would implant. I got pregnant naturally a week later so was worth the pain.

When I went for mine, they took a great deal of time going over consent and it was made clear that I could stop at any point and have it done under a GA at another date.

I took ibuprofen and paracetamol half an hour beforehand as advised, but also 2mg of diazepam. (I checked with the dept beforehand.)

I was extremely nervous - I was 64, never had children, suffered from vaginismus - but it was a positive experience.

ETA Hysteroscopy done, 'extensive biopsy' taken and Mirena coil inserted to protect uterus from cancer. Forgot to say that a local was injected into the cervix.

@WearyAuldWumman were you not offered a GA as an option at the outset?

No, I wasn't.