Local anaesthesia and cervical dilatation for outpatient diagnostic hysteroscopy

Abstract

SummaryOutpatient hysteroscopy was attempted on 400 patients and was successful in 373 (93-3 per cent). Intracervical and intra-uterine pathology was demonstrated in 2-3 and 38-8 per cent respectively. Cervical dilatation was performed in 18-5 per cent, but significantly more postmenopausal patients (28-6 per cent) required cervical dilatation compared to pre-menopausal patients (16-6 per cent; P<0.05). Local anaesthesia was required by 28-5 per cent of patients; 730 per cent required local anaesthesia if cervical dilatation was performed, compared with 18-5 per cent if no dilatation was performed (P<0.001). No major complications occurred in any patients. Outpatient hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy should be considered the procedure of choice for the evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding.