Hysteroscopy

We strongly recommend you read the patient information sheet below.

RANZCOG Hysteroscopy Patient Information -  RANZCOG (Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) is the college responsible for training and accreditation of gynaecologists in Aotearoa; they have released this information pack about hysteroscopy, which includes an outline of what the procedure involves, the risks and information about what to expect after the procedure.

A hysteroscopy is generally considered a safe and very low risk procedure. With any surgery there are some risks involved, and it is important that you are aware of these risks before agreeing to the procedure. The risks involved are:

• Bleeding (risk of major bleeding <1/100) - we will routinely ask whether you consent a blood transfusion, even though this is extremely unlikely, we need to know whether you consent to this before you have an anaesthetic or sedation

• Infection inside the uterus after the procedure (<1/100) - this is usually mild and can cause an odorous discharge, ongoing bleeding, pain or fevers. The important things to look out for will be explained to you and given to you in writing

• Perforation of the uterus (where the instrument passes through the wall of the uterus into the abdomen <1/1000 before menopause, and <1/100 after menopause) - if this happens there is a small risk of injury to other organs inside the abdomen, which is rare but serious and could lead to further surgery

Hysteroscopy can be performed without any anaesthetic, with sedation or with anaesthetic. Local anaesthetic may also be used in the cervix.

If your procedure is being done with sedation or general anaesthetic you will need to have nothing to eat for 6 hours before the procedure. You will be given advice on what time you should stop eating prior to the procedure by the hospital (this might be different if you are on a specific diabetic/weight loss medication GLP-1 antagonist like Ozempic).