If you have symptoms such as heavy bleeding or chronic pelvic pain, you may need a minimally invasive hysteroscopy. This procedure allows the team at Promised Land Women’s Center in Atlanta, Georgia, to examine your uterus and treat the cause of your symptoms without going through the trauma of open surgery. To get the compassionate care you need for gynecological symptoms and learn more about hysteroscopies, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.

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What is hysteroscopy?

A hysteroscopy is a procedure that allows your provider at Promised Land Women’s Center to examine the inside of your uterus, diagnose the cause of your symptoms, and treat the underlying problem.

Your provider performs this procedure using a long narrow instrument, called a hysteroscope. They insert the scope into your vagina and through the cervix, gently guiding it into your uterus.

After visually examining your uterus, they can pass specialized instruments through to scope to treat problems inside your uterus.

What gynecological conditions might need a hysteroscopy?

Your provider at Promised Land Women’s Center may recommend a hysteroscopy when you have symptoms such as abnormal bleeding and pelvic pain. Some women may need a hysteroscopy to determine the reason for their infertility.

A few of the gynecological conditions often diagnosed during a hysteroscopy include:

  • Uterine polyps
  • Uterine fibroids
  • Adhesions and scar tissue
  • Endometriosis
  • Uterine septum
  • Endometritis

You may also have a hysteroscopy to diagnose endometrial cancer.

What happens during a hysteroscopy?

The team at Promised Land Women’s Center performs hysteroscopies at Emory University Hospital. You may receive medication to help you relax and local anesthesia, regional anesthesia that numbs your pelvic area, or general anesthesia.

After using medication or dilators to gently open your cervix, your provider then inserts the hysteroscope and begins the procedure. First, they send gas or a liquid through the scope to expand your uterus.

Then they use the lighting and camera built into the scope to examine your uterus and perform surgery to remove tissues or treat the problem. For example, your provider may remove fibroids, polyps, or patches of endometriosis.

A diagnostic hysteroscopy may only take five minutes. Your hysteroscopy could also last longer than an hour if you need surgical treatment.

What should I expect after a hysteroscopy?

After a hysteroscopy, you stay in recovery and under observation until your anesthesia wears off; then, you can go home. If you only had a local anesthetic, you can leave shortly after your provider finishes the procedure. It takes longer for general anesthesia to wear off.

You should expect to have mild cramping and a small amount of bloody discharge for several days. You may also need medication to relieve the pain. Call your provider immediately if you develop a fever, chills, or heavy bleeding.

If you have questions about your symptoms or need to schedule a hysteroscopy, call Promised Land Women’s Center or book an appointment online today.