Diagnostic & Operative Hysteroscopy
Examination and treatment of the inside of the womb using a fine telescope passed through the cervix, requiring no abdominal incision. Available at our Nnewi hospital.
Hysteroscopy inspects the uterine cavity directly using a narrow telescope passed through the cervix. No cut is made in the abdomen.
It is used to investigate heavy or irregular bleeding, recurrent miscarriage, difficulty conceiving and suspected abnormalities within the cavity. Operative hysteroscopy treats findings in the same procedure - removing polyps or submucous fibroids, dividing adhesions or correcting a uterine septum.
In fertility care hysteroscopy has a particular role, since abnormalities within the cavity can prevent implantation and are readily missed on scans alone.
What the process involves
- Assessment - Review of symptoms and prior imaging.
- Hysteroscopy - The telescope is passed through the cervix; no incision is required.
- Treatment - Polyps, fibroids, adhesions or a septum can be treated during the same procedure.
- Recovery - Usually a day case, with most patients home within hours.
Common questions
Diagnostic hysteroscopy is often done with local anaesthetic or light sedation and feels like period cramping. Operative hysteroscopy is usually done under general anaesthetic.
Abnormalities inside the cavity can prevent an embryo implanting. Identifying and correcting them first improves the odds of a transfer succeeding.