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.

I'm sorry to hear that. I was offered the full range of options from nothing right through to a GA (NHS) - all women should be offered the same.

To anyone here who chose to have one under GA, how much longer did you have to wait? I guess that’s my concern that it will mean a long wait (I’m on the two week pathway).

I am in AUS and have Private cover so it got it a few days later. I think you are in the UK?
It must be worrying for you.

@honeyandbutterontoast- I chose GA and only had to wait three weeks for the procedure.

Both my mum and stepmum had it without GA and both found it incredibly painful. There was no way I was having it without GA.

Well that's taking man splaining to a whole new level! What made you think any of this information was required from you? The thread is full of women with first hand experience explaining this. You even try and tell the OP how to respond to the nurse as though as a grown ass woman she can't work that out for herself.

I had mine under GA a few weeks ago which meant a delay of a few weeks. I have no regrets.

I had a hysteroscopy 35 years ago and the male physician simply didn't care a bit about my discomfort. Plus, it was very disturbing to have all of this equipment up my vagina and LEFT IN THERE for 30 minutes. Go for the GA. Definitely.

We all have different experiences of this so if having a GA feels best for you, go for this.
I have had three hysteroscopies. I tolerated the first one and drive home afterwards.
The second wasn’t as easy as the procedure displaced my mirena and they had to dig around for it. Drove myself home again.
Third one - I had a vasovegal reaction and collapsed. I was very surprised by how differently I reacted during all three.

I'm not sure, sorry. I had the appointment with the consultant, was offered a range of options, I chose the GA for a number of reasons, and then got my appointment through - I wasn't given timescales for each of them. They had seen a small growth on my ultrasound and I'd had some odd bleeding, and so they took a biopsy while I was under. I certainly wouldn't have liked to have been awake for that.

I waited an extra week for mine. There is no way I would have had it without GA.

You were very lucky if it was comparable to a smear. It can be a very different experience.

I think it depends on what you need it for, mine was a straight forward look and biopsy, I had local and didn’t cause me pain, winced a bit at the biopsy a few seconds of feeling uncomfortable, no regrets on local, I was in and out of hospital within an hour including waiting.

I’ve had 3, took ibuprofen prior to each and was no worse than a bit of discomfort, even when they found polyps and removed them.

Only you know your pain threshold, though.

It's not to do with pain threshold. It's to do with other factors like position of your cervix, whether your cervix has been opened before, how hard or soft it is. It's not that everyone has the same pain and some can bear it and some not.

One of the factors is if you had incredibly painful periods then you are more likely to have extreme pain from this procedure.

I would say my pain threshold is quite high, but it seems that isn’t much of an indicator as to whether it’s an okay procedure or horrendous.

I used to have v painful periods pre children, long time since I had one though as I was on the pill for 10 years and came off it to find I’d gone through menopause.

And I have a retroverted cervix (think that’s the right term). Couldn’t tell you about its softness though 😂

My hysteroscopy included a local anaesthetic for the cervix. I think that that made a huge difference.

I took ibuprofen and paracetamol beforehand as per instructions and also a 2mg Diazepam, prescribed by my GP.

The worst of it was the speculum going in. (I always have trouble - I have vaginismus.) Once the gynae was through the cervix (which he'd anaesthetised) I didn't feel a thing. He did the hysteroscopy, told me what he was seeing, took a 'more extensive biopsy' and inserted a Mirena coil.

I was 64, never had children.

It doesn't mean you'll definitely have pain just a risk factor. I wasn't willing to risk it! Another risk factor is if smears are very uncomfortable.

I read that a third of women experience no pain and it's 'just like a smear'.

I also read that 98% of women who have a hysteroscopy on the 2 week pathway don't have cancer. I'm very glad they check though.

It's not just the physical elements - for many women who have experienced sexual trauma, a hysteroscopy with a GA is simply the best option for them.

The 98% is very reassuring, thank you.