Hysteroscopy in Istanbul

Hysteroscopy Istanbul, Turkey

Hysteroscopy is a method that allows visualization of the inside walls of the uterus to diagnose and treat uterine anomalies through the vaginal route.

Hysteroscopy is used for investigating the causes of infertility, recurrent miscarriages, or irregular menstrual bleeding, and it is also used for surgical treatment by means of an optical camera.

In which situations hysteroscopy cannot be done:

• Cervical (cervix) cancer,
• Severe uterine bleeding,
• Severe infections,
• Active herpes infection,
• Pregnancy.

What is Diagnostic hysteroscopy?

Diagnostic hysteroscopy is a painless procedure usually performed under local anesthesia in an office setting. Outpatient diagnostic hysteroscopy is also called office hysteroscopy. 

When is diagnostic hysteroscopy used?

It is usually done for the assessment and the treatment of:

• Premenopausal or postmenopausal irregular bleeding,
• Infertility assessment,
• Recurrent miscarriage assessment,
• Recurrent implantation failures in IVF treatments,
• Removal of submucous fibroids, endometrial polyps,
• Intrauterine synechiae,
• Removal of the uterine septum.

What are the advantages of diagnostic hysteroscopy?

• Diagnosis of uterine cavity abnormalities (e.g. polyps, submucous fibroids, septum),
• Assessment and planning for subsequent hysteroscopic surgery (e.g. myomectomy, metroplasty, and endometrial ablation),
• Patient and physician convenience,
• Avoidance of general anesthesia,
• Less patient anxiety,
• Cost-effectiveness,
• More efficient use of the operating room for more complex hysteroscopic cases.

What is operative hysteroscopy?

Operative hysteroscopy is usually done in the operating room under general anesthesia or sedation/analgesia which requires painful cervical dilatation.

When is operative hysteroscopy used?

• Intrauterine synechiae cases,
• Congenital uterine anomalies such as the uterine septum,
• Intrauterine polyps and fibroids,
• Blocked Fallopian tubes,
• Removal of the intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD),
• Hysteroscopic sterilization,
• Retained products of conception,
• Endometrial ablation.

What are the benefits of hysteroscopy?

• Shorter recovery time,
• Less pain medication is needed after surgery,
• A shorter hospital stay,
• Less pain medication,
• Avoidance of open surgeries,
• Less risk of a hysterectomy.

How is hysteroscopy performed?

Hysteroscopy can be performed under general or local anesthesia depending on the patient's condition. Hysteroscopy is usually done in the first days just after the end of the menstrual bleeding. This allows better visualization of the uterine cavity and excludes the risk of pregnancy at the time of hysteroscopy.

• The hysteroscope is inserted through the cervix.
• Carbon dioxide gas or a liquid solution is passed into the uterus through the hysteroscope to expand it and to clear away any blood or mucus.
• A light source on the hysteroscope allows seeing the uterus and the openings of the fallopian tubes in the uterine cavity.
• If surgery needs to be performed, small instruments are inserted through the hysteroscope into the uterus.

The time of the procedure changes whether it is diagnostic or operative and can range from less than five minutes to more than an hour.

How safe is hysteroscopy?

Although hysteroscopy is a safe procedure and complications from hysteroscopy are very rare, operative hysteroscopy might be potentially life-threatening in such cases as resection of fibroids, or endometrial ablation. These are risks of uterine perforation, fluid-overload syndrome, intraoperative hemorrhage, injury to the cervix, uterus, bowel, or bladder, and intrauterine scarring.

The other risks that could occur in any type of surgery are risks associated with anesthesia, infection, and reaction to the substances used to expand the uterus.

These risk factors can be minimized with qualified technical equipment and by an experienced physician and operation team.