Womanhood brings the maturity of your reproductive system, the drive to become sexually active, and the urge to procreate during the course of your puberty. And your uterus plays a major role in all of these things.
This pear-shaped organ can also suffer from numerous conditions that can affect your health, such as:
If you’re dealing with the symptoms of these or other conditions, you need a diagnosis to confirm what you may be dealing with, and that’s where diagnostic hysteroscopy may be able to help.
To understand this procedure and how it can help, let’s look at what it is, what it’s used for, and what happens during and after the screening.
And if you live in or near Lake Mary, Florida, and are looking for treatments for conditions affecting your uterus or other reproductive issues, Dr. Christopher Quinsey and our skilled medical staff are here to help.
To look for any abnormalities in your uterus, Dr. Quinsey uses a minimally invasive tool called a hysteroscope. He inserts this thin, flexible telescopic tube through your vagina into your uterus, while a camera relays what it sees to a monitor.
If he finds a growth, Dr. Quinsey may remove it using curretes, a small surgical instrument that can scrape the growth away. He sends any tissue he removes to a lab for testing for various conditions that may affect your uterus.
If you’re experiencing uterine bleeding, heavy menstrual bleeding, or post-menopausal bleeding, or are have difficulty getting pregnant, this procedure can detect possible causes.
We may also use it to detect uterine fibroids, polyps, adhesions (scar tissue), endometrial cancer, and endometrial hyperplasia (a condition in which tissue in your womb becomes enlarged).
Before the process begins, we ask you to empty your bladder and give a hospital gown to wear. We clean your vaginal area, and, if necessary, use an intravenous (IV) line to provide sedation.
You lie down and place your feet in the stirrups. We may dilate your cervix if needed to get a better look. We perform a pelvic exam and insert a hysteroscope into your vagina. We may use saline gas to improve the view.
Dr. Quinsey may take a sample of tissue to screen for or rule out problems. Once the procedure is finished, he removes the hysteroscope.
The entire procedure can take as little as 5 minutes or as long as an hour, depending on what we need to do.
Recovery times vary depending on whether we used any sedatives, and if we did, we monitor your blood pressure, pulse and breathing to be sure you’re stable and alert. Once you’re stable, we discharge you.
Recovery is swift. Within a couple of hours, you’re able to go back to your daily routine. You may experience uterine cramps, spotting or mild to moderate bleeding, but it should be temporary.
Avoid using tampons for a few weeks after the procedure, and avoid douching or sex for at least two weeks. Also avoid aspirin, as it may increase bleeding.
If you’re dealing with uterine problems, diagnostic hysteroscopy can help. Contact us today to make an appointment with Dr. Quinsey at our Lake Mary, Florida, office.
