Hysteroscopy is a procedure that allows your doctor to look inside your uterus in order to diagnose and treat causes of abnormal bleeding, infertility. Hysteroscopy is done using a hysteroscope, a thin, lighted tube that is inserted into the vagina to examine the cervix and inside of the uterus.

Office hysteroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that has been shown to be highly accurate in diagnosing abnormalities of the endometrial cavity and the endocervical canal.

Operative hysteroscopy is a minimally invasive gynecological procedure in which an endoscopic optical lens is inserted through the cervix into the endometrial cavity to direct treatment of various types of intrauterine pathology.

The procedure itself can take anywhere from just 5 minutes to 30 minutes depending on what’s being done. For most diagnostic-only purposes, the hysteroscopy can be done in your doctor’s office with just local or regional anaesthesia.

A hysteroscopy is not usually carried out under anaesthetic, as it’s a relatively quick procedure and does not involve making cuts (incisions) in your skin.Occasionally, a local anaesthetic may be used to numb your cervix (entrance to the womb) during the procedure.Some cramping may be felt during the procedure, depending upon the type of anesthesia. Complications of hysteroscopy are rare and include perforation of the uterus, bleeding, infection, damage to the urinary or digestive tract, and medical complications resulting from reactions to drugs or anaesthetic agents.If regional or general anesthesia is used during your hysteroscopy, you may have to be observed for several hours before going home. After the procedure, you may have some cramping or slight vaginal bleeding for one to two days.

To treat smaller fibroids that bulge significantly into your uterus (submucosalfibroids), your surgeon may suggest a hysteroscopic myomectomy. Your surgeon accesses and removes the fibroids using instruments inserted through your vagina and cervix into your uterus.

The curettage procedure (D&C) involves dilating the uterine cervix so that the lining tissue (endometrium) of the uterus can be removed by scraping or suction.This is also called as Endometrial Scratching usually done during infertility as it may help later to conceive.D&C is usually a diagnostic procedure and seldom is therapeutic. A D&C is often done as an adjunct procedure to a hysteroscopy and/or polypectomy.

If your doctor suspects you have uterine cancer, you may be advised Hysteroscopy. The main tests for diagnosing cancer of the uterus are transvaginal ultrasound, examination of the lining of the uterus (hysteroscopy) and tissue sampling ( biopsy ).

The hysteroscopy cannot be performed during your menstrual cycle or if you may be pregnant. The best time to perform this procedure is between 5th-10th day of your periods , calculating 1st day as the day when you get your periods.