Type of Surgery

Information

Doctor Certified

Last updated: 11/24/2009

Description

The hysteroscope is an extremely thin telescope-like instrument that looks like a lighted tube. The modern hysteroscope is so thin that it can fit through the cervix with only minimal or no dilation.

Before inserting the hysteroscope, the doctor...

administers an anesthetic. Once it has taken effect, the doctor dilates the cervix slightly, and then inserts the hysteroscope through the cervix to reveal the inside of the uterus. Ordinarily, the walls of the uterus are touching each other. In order to get a better view, the uterus may be inflated with carbon dioxide gas or fluid. Hysteroscopy takes approximately 30 minutes.

Treatment involving the use of hysteroscopy is usually performed as a short-stay hospital procedure with regional or general anesthesia. Tiny surgical instruments may be inserted through the hysteroscope to remove polyps or fibroids. A small sample of tissue lining the uterus is often removed for examination, especially if the patient has experienced any abnormal bleeding.



PREVIOUS:

Advertisement

Occasionally endometrium can grow outside of the womb, causing a painful condition known as endometriosis. This particular video shows how a fluorescent marker is used to identify endometrial tissue, tissue that is sometimes hard to identify. The video is the view through a laparoscope and the shiny areas are endometrial tissue.

Related Videos

Prenatal test - Amniocentesis - Fetal medicine

Animated, narrated slide show that describes how amniotic fluid is sampled during amniocentesis. An ultrasound probe is used to help guide the needle during the procedure.

How the Body Works : The Menstrual Cycle

This narration describes a normal 28 day menstrual cycle. It covers the main hormones that are involved in the release of an egg from the ovary. There is a discussion about how hormones control menstruation if the egg is not fertilized and how they support pregnancy if the egg is fertilized by a sperm.

How a baby develops during pregnancy

This narrated animation shows how an egg from the ovary that, once fertilized, implants in the womb. This fertilized egg (zygote or embryo) is supported by the endometrial lining of the uterus. The video continues to describe how the fetus develops and interacts with the amniotic fluid and the womb.

pelvic inflammatory disease reference

Pelvic inflammatory disease can cause a severely painful condition and leads to infertility. As the video describes, pelvic inflammatory disease or PID is often caused by sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia or gonorrhea.

Search

Other Information

Hysteroscopy is the inspection of the uterine cavity by endoscopy. It allows for the diagnosis of intrauterine pathology and serves as a method for surgical intervention (operative hysteroscopy).


From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysteroscopy

Other Information

an obstetrician/gynecologist is a physician specialist who provides medical and surgical care to women and has particular expertise in pregnancy, childbirth, and disorders of the reproductive system.


From: womenshealthchannel.com

Find a Qualified Specialist

Looking for a specialist?

Please enter your zip code.