Operative hysteroscopy procedures use camera endoscopes to view and treat areas of concern inside the uterus.
Operative hysteroscopy in practice
Operative hysteroscopy procedures are performed on an outpatient basis. This means that patients are generally admitted to a medical facility for a few hours and they can go home the same day. However there are circumstances when the patient may stay overnight, for example if the patient’s general health requires it (if the patient is suffering a chronic illness or is incapacitated), or if the patient lives far away from their home, or if there is no one to look after the patient…).
The patient is required to fast from the night before the procedure (no food, no liquids, no smoking) and comes in for the procedure in the morning.
- The procedure is carried out in an operating theatre in a suitably equipped healthcare facility
- Anesthesia is administered via one of:
- A small amount of general anesthesia (without intravenous injection and assisted ventilation),
- Local anesthesia, directed at the cervix using lidocaine,
- Regional anesthesia (seldom used) in the form of an epidural or a spinal anesthesia,
- After the procedure, the patient experiences some bleeding and little or no pain
- After an operative hysteroscopy, if the patient experiences significant bleeding or pain (and especially if there are clots), or runs a fever then the patient should quickly consult the surgeon who performed the procedure in order to check that all is well
