Hysteroscopy, which has recently been used frequently in conditions of the uterus, provides considerable ease both in diagnosis and in treatment.
Hysteroscopy, which is used for diagnosis by widening the cervix and filling the uterus with fluid and then advancing the hysteroscope (a kind of camera) inside the uterus so that the inner layer of the uterus can be viewed, can in some situations also be used for treatment. However, it cannot be used during pregnancy or if there is a vaginal or urinary tract infection.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Taner Usta, specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology, explained the questions people wonder about hysteroscopy, a method that has recently been used frequently, especially in uterine operations, thanks to the advantages it offers.
OPERATIVE HYSTEROSCOPY AND ITS APPLICATION
With operative hysteroscopy, the name given to the operative part of hysteroscopy, it is possible to treat structures such as adhesions inside the uterus, fibroids and polyps. The advantage of operative hysteroscopy is that these procedures can be carried out during the diagnostic hysteroscopy. With this method, performed with scissors, biopsy forceps or a grasper, a coil or a catheter can be placed inside the uterus in order to prevent adhesions that could form again after the operation. This technique, which makes it possible to remove intrauterine devices that could not be removed with other methods, is extremely effective especially in finding and removing coils whose thread cannot be seen and that have moved up into the uterus.
While diagnostic hysteroscopy takes about 2-3 minutes, the duration of operative hysteroscopies can reach about 5-15 minutes. Patients can generally be discharged on the same day after this operation, in other words it is performed as a day case. Today, in addition, with the hysteroscopic morcellator, polyps or fibroids inside the uterus can be treated in a short time without using any energy.
DOES IT HAVE SIDE EFFECTS AND HOW DOES THE FOLLOWING PERIOD DEVELOP?
After hysteroscopy there are either no problems at all or very few. It is entirely normal that some unwanted situations can occur, even if rarely. At the top of these are an increase in vaginal discharge, vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain. However, the pain can easily be brought under control with painkillers. In some situations doctors may advise avoiding sexual intercourse after hysteroscopy. In such situations patients should consult their doctors.
It should not be forgotten that hysteroscopy is an operation that must be performed by specialists trained in this field. Because in procedures performed incorrectly there is a risk, even if at a rate of 1%, of perforation of the uterus and abnormal bleeding.