Hysteroscopy for polyp removal- scared!

[GreenJazz]

Hello,

I'm booked to have a hysteroscopy for polyp removal (and removal/reinsertion of coil...if they do that?!) and haven't been offered a general. In short, I'm scared.

I've read all the horror stories about painful procedures and I'm really apprehensive about this, but at the same time I just want it removed so there's one less thing to worry about (I've been marked urgent by GP so would rather be seen faster really).

Has anyone here had a tolerable hysteroscopy for polyp removal while awake?! I really don't want to hear about difficult ones to be honest, I just want to know if people have had this particular experience and have tolerated it reasonably well.

Thank you!

Have the GA, the waits are shocking though.
I've had several, all without and all ok until the one I had yesterday! She was in and out multiple times with the scope taking lots of little polyps and fibroids but the biopsy they always take was the worst pain. I had taken paracetamol and ibuprofen beforehand but it still fucking hurt. I was lying there legs akimbo with 3 female staff and literally just said god men have idea do they, they just would never be expected to tolerate that level of pain.
The other option for me was waiting for sedation/GA but I knew it would set me back months and the issues my womb causes me are life limiting so I'd rather suffer the short term pain. I was just grateful I got the appointment relatively quickly this time, as opposed to the horrendously long waits I've had in the past, that's where we are with healthcare these days.

The GP marked it urgent because I've been bleeding heavily (I'm now borderline anaemic) but the consultant said it's not a cancer risk so I can wait. The hospital wait list currently says approx 18 weeks but when I called I was told this was wrong.

Having done research, it seems a general lack of anaesthetists added to the fact that gynae surgeries are often not life-threatening surgeries (I know, I know) and so are first to be bumped off in emergencies means I'll be old and grey before getting into hospital (oh, and just to rub it in, they recently sent me an email asking if I still want to be on the waiting list...🤦‍♀️). I tried emailing the consultant's PA and calling directly but clearly I haven't made myself enough of a nuisance yet so I'm stuck waiting for now.

Was that in the UK? Because other people say they were offered it, so it's interesting they told you there was a consent issue-if you can have GA, don't see what the difference is regarding consent?
OP, I would ring them and get clear info on the choices at your hospital. You asked for positive stories, and lots of people I know had no problems without GA, so it is possible, but I would really recommedt getting your options so you know if it's bad for you, you can just stop it.

I had it done awake, despite crippling health anxiety. A nurse sat at my head end the whole time talking to me, when I wanted.

At worst it felt ‘bloaty’ to me. I really didn’t mine it though.

The ‘issue with consent’ is probably referring to continuing consent after the sedation has been started. People react differently to sedation and occasionally someone can look calm on the outside but actually be having an horrible experience, or vice versa. Consent to a procedure is a process not a piece of paper and patients can change their mind during a procedure if it’s too uncomfortable…but if they’ve had sedation it isn’t always that clear what the patient is trying to express. It’s often therefore safer to be either wide awake or under GA (or wide awake but with a spinal anaesthetic) and then there can be no confusion about what’s going on. Some places do provide sedation for hysteroscopies, but it isn’t always the right thing to offer. Sedation also isn’t always the lowest risk option & some people are better off under GA. Hysteroscopies and colonoscopies pose slightly different challenges and aren’t so easy to compare as you might imagine.

Yes that sounds right.

I remember when I had a (private) dental procedure there was a strict order of reading and signing paperwork before taking my minuscule dose of diazepam because you can’t consent once you’re under the influence of sedating drugs, so I assume it’s similar.

I hadn’t realised the two procedures (colonoscopy and hysteroscopy) would present different challenges, I’d like to know more about this.

My experience with having a colonoscopy was that everyone made an effort to be extra lovely about my comfort and on multiple occasions when I’ve been scheduled for a hysteroscopy they’ve treated me like a complete pain in the arse when I ask questions about pain relief and whether it’s a necessary procedure. Last time they let me have an ultrasound instead where they were able to see there was no thickening of the lining so I was able to avoid a hysteroscopy.

Pistachiocake yes I’m in the UK.