Hysteroscopy. What it is?

Over the past decades gynecologists in Europeancountries almost completely stopped using such manipulation as scraping of the uterine cavity in order to obtain a material (mucosal scraping) for histological examination or removal of pathological formation in the cervical canal or uterine cavity. The new method - hysteroscopy - has replaced the gross and rather traumatic manipulation. What it is?

This is a minimally invasive and more gentle methodendoscopic technique. Inspection of the walls of the uterine cavity is carried out using a hysteroscope - a thin optical device inserted through the cervical canal directly into the uterine cavity. This method allows the specialist to assess the condition of the canal, uterine cavity and tube angles in real time. This method allows for a full diagnosis, and, if necessary, surgical treatment of adhesions, endometrial polyps, myomatous nodes and other intrauterine pathologies without additional injuries and incisions.

Endoscopic diagnosis is carried out fordetection and study of pathological processes in the uterine cavity. In this case, hysteroscopy reveals the presence of adhesions, septa, myomas, polyps in the uterine cavity. Indications for its conduct are suspicions of endometriosis, a submucosal myomatous node or nodes, synechia (spikes), perforation of the uterine walls during diagnostic curettage or abortion, endometrial or cervical cancer, endometrial pathology. Diagnosis is also necessary if the doctor has suspicions of various malformations of the uterus, its abnormal development, infertility.

Control examination of the state of the uterus cavityis often prescribed after any surgical interventions on the uterus, with miscarriage, at the end of the course of hormonal treatment. Thus, diagnostic hysteroscopy helps to detect the cause of infertility, menstrual irregularities, miscarriage, dysfunctional uterine bleeding.

Then the question arises: therapeutic hysteroscopy - what is it? This is a manipulation that is performed to correct and treat an identified pathological deviation. Indications for it are intrauterine septum, synechia, submucosal fibroids, polyps, endometrial hyperplasia and other conditions. Operative intervention is carried out through a hysteroscope, allowing you to enter the necessary tools, through which various therapeutic manipulations are carried out. Endoscopic methods allow to eliminate not only the above pathologies, but also to remove nodes of myoma, ablation and resection of the endometrium. These procedures are known as hysteroresectoscopy, in general the same hysteroscopy. What it is and is there a difference? Hysteroresectoscopy is not a diagnosis, butoperative method of treatment of diseases of the uterus. This is one of the most modern and progressive methods of surgical treatment, a sparing alternative to traditional cavitary surgery.

The following procedures are known: liquid and gas hysteroscopy. What it is? To fully inspect the uterine cavity it is expanded. For the diagnostic study, gas hysteroscopy is used. In the absence of bloody discharge, the uterine cavity is expanded using carbon dioxide. To conduct surgical interventions, liquid hysteroscopy is more preferable, which is carried out by using low molecular and high molecular fluids. It provides clear visibility and allows you to monitor the operation.

Diagnostic hysteroscopy and surgical treatment can be performed by the doctor's decision at the same time or as a different procedure. Often during manipulation, an endometrial biopsy is performed.

If a woman is prescribed hysteroscopy, the costprocedures, she can find out directly in the clinic. Usually such a service in paid medical institutions includes consultations of a doctor and an anesthesiologist, preoperative tests, ECG, anesthesia.

It is important to know that hysteroscopy hascontraindications. These include the recently transferred processes of inflammation of the genital organs, stenosis of the cervix, severe uterine bleeding, common infectious diseases, especially in the acute stage, severe forms of diseases of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, liver.