Your uterus, which is responsible for so much of your reproductive cycle and numerous functions, is also prone to medical conditions that can affect your health. Medical imaging like hysteroscopy is vital to help us diagnose such problems and treat them.
In Lake Mary, Florida, women turn to Dr. Christopher Quinsey and our medical team for ways to manage uterine problems. Dr. Quinsey uses hysteroscopies and other methods for an accurate diagnosis that can guide your treatment plan.
To understand how this screening helps, let’s examine the process, what happens during it, and when we might recommend it.
The name for the procedure comes from a device called a hysteroscope, a thin, lit tube with a camera that we place through the vagina into the uterus. We use a speculum to dilate the vagina and allow the hysteroscope to enter.
This process plays a role in surgical treatments when necessary, which can require a hospital stay. Typically, though, we perform hysteroscopies in-office.
Examples of uses for this procedure include detecting malformations, investigating the causes of abnormal uterine bleeding, and assisting in the removal of intrauterine devices, fibroids, and polyps. It’s also valuable for confirming other test results.
We start a hysteroscopy procedure with a pelvic exam, followed by dilation of the cervix. Next, we place the device inside, sending a liquid through it to gently expand the opening, clear away mucus and blood, and obtain a clear view of the uterus and fallopian tubes.
If we need to remove or treat something, instruments inserted into the device can help us perform the task.
Overall, this process ranges from a few minutes to an hour, depending on whether we’re just examining or doing a treatment procedure. Overnight stays in a facility are rare, occurring only when there are concerns about anesthetic reactions.
Your health and medical history determine whether a hysteroscopy is necessary. If you’re dealing with a pelvic infection or are pregnant, you shouldn’t get one.
If you’re struggling with intrauterine bleeding, irregular spotting, heavy periods, multiple miscarriages, or need to remove placental tissue after childbirth, you should consider it.
But we don’t do the procedure during your monthly cycle. If you have regular periods, we wait until after bleeding stops to get the best look inside to confirm any issues. We manage irregular periods on a case-by-case basis. After menopause, we can do the procedure at any time.
Keeping your uterus healthy is vital to your health, and we’re here to help. If you have problems that indicate uterine issues, make an appointment with Dr Quinsey and our team today for diagnosis and treatment.
