Hysteroscopy with general

[workerbeegifts]

Hi all I am due to have a hysteroscopy and for trauma reasons I have asked for a general.

Those who have had a hysteroscopy with a general please can you explain how the process goes - it it just like going in for any other day surgery? What was the aftermath like ref pain and vaginal bleeding?

I am perfectly ok with other medical stuff - just gynae of this nature causes me huge distress so any info to help me know what’s coming would be really appreciated.

Thank you

It is fine. I was on a day ward, did have to wait around for quite a while on the ward, since they triage and some emergency cases came in. It was a 30 minute procedure and over very quickly, some bleeding and cramping after but very little, the general anaesthetic was fine, because it’s a short procedure you are less likely to feel ill affects from jit because you’re not under for very long. Is it to remove a polyp or similar?

No experience with a GA but aftermath for me wasn't toooo bad. Quite crampy intense period pain type pains that came on about an hour afterwards, bit of spotting for a day or two, i was ok to go in work the next day. Mostly it was psychologically crappy as these things are 😔

Hope it goes ok for you x

I had to wait on the ward a fair bit before. I had to be there for 7 and went down at 11.30. Got a bit of hard sell from a dr about having a mirena (I didn’t want one). All went fine, I walked to operating theatre which I found a bit disconcerting!
I did bleed a fair bit after, I think because I have adenymosis, was able to walk the dog that evening round the block (with DD!).
The bleeding after went on for ages, but otherwise fine.

I've had them under GA and without, the GA experience was far nicer! Nice and quick, knew nothing about it, home in a couple of hours, a bit crampy afterwards but nothing a paracetamol, a cuppa and warm snuggle on the sofa didn't help.
Good luck.

Easy. The pre-op procedure is just like any other. Anesthetist talks about nonsense while putting the GA in the back of your hand. Then you wake up and its all over. Mild pain for a couple of hours at most. Back home eating cake very quickly. Small amount of watery bleeding for a day or two. Good luck op.

Hugely better than without GA I might add.

Thank you for your replies. I am having it because two x trans vaginal ultrasounds have shown thickening of my lining/ fibrotic changes and they want to take a look. I did have 8 weeks bleeding earlier in the year which prompted me to go to the GP but that bleeding stopped in June.

I also take tamoxifen for breast cancer and that is known to have an effect on uterine lining.

Also I am having to go for the hysteroscopy appointment, to refuse the procedure, to then discuss it with the gynaecologist which all seems a bit weird. I called them to say I needed a general and they said I still needed to go for the appointment as that’s the only way they could put me on the list for a general. Is that normal?

I had a hysteroscopy and biopsies under general anaesthetic several months ago. There was a lot of waiting around before the op so was very glad I had a good book and a powerbank.
I was through to recovery in less than 30 minutes. I went back to the ward, had a cup of tea and some sandwiches (I was starving after being nil by mouth!) I got up for a wee pretty much straight away and got dressed, I went home after 2 hours. I bled quite heavily overnight (like a heavy period) but it was just spotting within 24 hours and stopped altogether after a couple of days. I went out for cocktails the following night, 24 hours later.

I had to do that too. It’s just procedure I think. Seemed silly to me but the nurse was perfectly happy to book me in for a general

Thank be you all for your replies. They are really helping. I feel very alone with it and tbh a bit of a failure because I know I cannot have the procedure without sedation.

You are not a failure!

I had mine WITHOUT GA, and it was horrendous. If I ever had another (which I won't, as I no longer have a uterus😅) it would be GA every time.

I’ve had it without sedation and I can tell you 100% that you are not a failure for having it with the GA. I almost passed out when having it initially and then was put down for a GA and if you can avoid that experience you absolutely should. I understand that many women get on ok with the procedure but for some it is very painful. More power to you!

Great comment.

Thank you @fluffythecat1 and @CointreauVersial (great user name!) 💗

I went for first hysteroscopy appointment and screamed the place down with the pain of it. I think I emptied the waiting room. Bear in mind I gave birth vaginally twice with nothing more than a bit of gas and air.

So they had to abandon the attempt and I was booked in for GA.

It went ridiculously well. I was given plenty of fentanyl when I came round, so no pain at all. A very small amount of spotting.

I had to stay overnight because I had nobody to stay with me, but that was all cool, I just got a taxi around 6:30. I could really have left the night before.

Good luck, I am sure you will be fine.

Thought I would just comment to update in case anyone else is reading this and having the same experience at the moment. I met the gynaecologist for the Hysteroscopy appointment that was not to be. I declined the procedure and they were very nice about it and have referred me to have an appointment for a general anaesthetic. He did ask me why I didn’t want to go ahead with the procedure today which I really felt I didn’t need to answer, but just told him that it would be too traumatic and no further explanation.

Well done for sticking to your guns. You shouldn't have to go into detail about your reasons, but I suppose it's helpful to them to know the full range of reasons why we don't want painful invasive surgical procedures without analgesia or being knocked out. I do think that a lot of clinicians are starting to get the message now though!

I had this done in spring and asked for a GA. As I was on an 'urgent referral' I was warned it would add time to the wait - in the event it added another 2 weeks, I think - 5 in all from referral. I understand that this isn't a bad wait time.

I went in as a day patient first thing in the morning, and essentially, the worst thing was that there was a hell of a lot of waiting around and I think I was the last of the ward to be processed. I was sat on my bed, starving (they eventually let me have tiny sips of water) until about 3 for the op (which I'd been told was morning surgery).

I was really nervous as I'm rather scared of all this sort of thing, but I had Emla cream on my hands for the cannula and remember waiting nervously to black out - and then I was waking up in recovery! I woke happy and apparently laughing (I was a bit stoned on the painkillers which they were generous with because of my history of cervical shock and post-procedure pain!). I recovered well and was walking to the loo within about 40 mins, but they hung onto me for about 3 hours until the gynae had discharged me and they also gave me a fragmin shot to guard against blood clots, which I thought was a bit overkill given I was already walking around, but that was protocol apparently (possibly taking my age and overweight status into account!).

I felt woozy and very tired the rest of the evening and the next day, a bit of bleeding but nothing bad, and ok by the day after that. (and the results of the biopsy were fine )

Hi OP. I just wanted to give you a non positive view so you are prepared. Though I accept I might be the exception reading these!

I had a GA for mine. Which was fine, grim but not my worst GA.

OP was done by late morning, I slept for several hours and left at 2pm.

I was on the ceiling with the pain (worst period ever) within two hrs of the op and crying in bed by midnight, had GP prescribe codeine the next morning. I had cramps for well over a week, plus days and days of crying from the GA.

So be well prepared with pain medication.

My gynae did a D&C too, and he acknowledged he might have pulled my uterus around quite a lot. 🤢