"Positive hysteroscopy experience"

Yesterday I had a positive hysteroscopy experience at QA Hospital, Portsmouth. I feel the need to write about this as I had read so many horror stories online about this procedure.

I am 32 and have no children. I was referred to the gynaecologist department in July 2022 by my GP due to heavy periods, bleeding between periods, and because a polyp had been found by the hospital during an ultrasound.

I was eventually called last week to book my appointment, 73 weeks after referral. During this wait I regularly called the gynae department for an update, but none could be provided nor any timescales. When I was called to book this appointment, I was given very little information, just told that a camera would be involved and to take paracetamol an hour before my appointment.

I did subsequently call the gynae department as I had some questions, such as what procedure I was to have done, and spoke to a nurse who was lovely and answered them all, though she did say I would receive a patient information leaflet about the procedure which I never did. I did then receive a text from the hospital with a pin to view my appointment letter on their portal however the letter simply said the time and date of my appointment and the name of the consultant. It didn't say what procedure I was having, and there was no patient information leaflet about the procedure attached, just some generic hospital information as further reading.

Because I had received such little information, I researched online. I found many horror stories about how painful the procedure was, about how women were traumatised, and read it described as ‘medieval torture’ and ‘worse than labour’. This left me nervous. I also found the best practice guide for the procedure from the Royal College of ObGy and I then found the patient hysteroscopy information leaflet on the QA Hospital website, however, feel I should have been directed to this or sent it, as then perhaps I would not have gone researching and found what I had found.

My appointment was yesterday, and I took my partner with me who was allowed in all the rooms. Firstly, I saw the consultant to talk through why I was there etc. I explained that I had read horror stories about pain and was told that I could try the procedure either with no anaesthetic or local if required, or rebook to have it under general anaesthetic. I was told that they would try to keep me talking during the procedure as not talking may be a sign that I was in pain. I was told how a polyp would be removed if one were found. It was explained that there was no way of knowing how painful a woman would find it beforehand until it was tried. I asked if my smear test that was due could be done at the same time, along with having the coil fitted, and was told that yes both these could also be done. I decided to go ahead and try the procedure without anaesthetic. I would say perhaps this consultation felt a tad rushed.

We then went into the procedure room and there were two nurses there. I was told to undress from the waist down behind a curtain and cover myself with a sheet then sit on the chair with my legs up in supports. I was asked if I could be pregnant/when my last period was. My partner was next to me holding my hand, along with a nurse, and the other nurse was on the other side to assist the doctor. I had a smear test, hysteroscopy, and coil fitted. Whilst the procedure was uncomfortable, I felt little pain. The times I did feel pain it only lasted a few seconds.

The most painful bit was having anaesthetic injected into my uterus to have the coil fitted, but again the pain only lasted a few seconds. No polyp was found so I did not have a polypectomy. The nurse to my side was talking to me throughout, the feelings etc were explained before they happened, and I was in the room for half an hour, maybe less. Once the procedure was complete, I was told to go back behind the curtain and redress. The doctor explained the coil could be in for 7 years and asked if I had any questions which I didn’t then he left the room. The nurses then offered me a drink which I didn’t accept as I just wanted to go at this point, and I was handed a patient aftercare leaflet and a card with the date the coil was fitted and the latest date of removal.

I understood there may be cramping and bleeding for a few days after the procedure, but I’ve not had this.

Overall, I had a positive experience yesterday. It was not, for me, the medieval torture that I had read it described as online. I had barely any pain and any pain that I did have was short lived. I do not feel that I would have needed it under general anaesthetic. Other than the not having received written information beforehand, I felt the best practice that I had read online had been followed.

Positives:

+ friendly nurses

+ good practice guide mainly followed

+ offered the choice to rebook under general anaesthetic

+ offered local anaesthetic if required

+ ‘one stop shop’ – got smear and coil done at the same time

+ spoken to throughout procedure

+ feelings/bits of procedure explained before being performed

+ little pain

Negatives:

-Ultrasound department said I had a polyp even though I didn’t

-Long waiting list

-No timescales provided during time on waiting list

-No written information about the procedure ahead of the appointment

-Consultation felt rushed

-No explanation as to what has caused all the bleeding after no polyp was found