What it is
A hysteroscope is a thin lighted camera. It passes through the vagina and cervix into the uterus. Nothing is cut.
Saline opens the cavity so Dr. Mueller can see the lining directly. An ultrasound suggests a polyp or fibroid. The camera shows it.
Small instruments pass through the same scope. That is how a polyp, a small fibroid or a stuck IUD comes out.
Why it is done
- Heavy periods that medication has not settled
- Bleeding between periods, or any bleeding after menopause
- A polyp or fibroid seen on ultrasound
- A thickened uterine lining on imaging
- Repeated miscarriage, or trouble getting pregnant
- An IUD with a string that cannot be found
- Scar tissue suspected inside the uterus
What happens, step by step
- 1
The timing
The visit is booked just after a period, when the lining is thin.
- 2
Cervix opened
The cervix is numbed and gently widened.
- 3
Camera in
The scope passes through the cervix and saline opens the cavity.
- 4
The look
Dr. Mueller inspects the lining, the walls and both tube openings.
- 5
Anything removed
A polyp, a small fibroid or an embedded IUD comes out through the scope.
- 6
Home the same day
You rest for a short while, then leave.
Questions people ask
- Does a hysteroscopy hurt?
- Expect cramping like a strong period. It settles within an hour. Take ibuprofen an hour before.
- Can I drive home?
- Yes, after an office hysteroscopy with local numbing. Sedation means someone else drives.
- How is this different from an ultrasound?
- Ultrasound looks through the wall of the uterus. The camera looks inside it, and can treat what it finds.
- Will I bleed afterward?
- Light spotting for a few days is usual. Call the office if you soak a pad in an hour.
- Will I still be able to get pregnant?
- The uterus and tubes stay. Clearing a polyp or scar tissue is sometimes done for that reason.
- Do I need general anesthesia?
- Not for a look. Removing a fibroid is usually done under sedation or general anesthesia.