Karman's cannula and vacuum aspirator in gynecological practice.

The charts of 340 patients who underwent an endometrial suction procedure using Karman's cannula and syringe were reviewed. The therapeutic uses of this instrument were for the treatment of chronic endometritis (18.6%), the evacuation of incomplete or missed abortion (14.6%) and hydatidiform mole (0.8%), and the retrieval of the missing tail of an intrauterine contraceptive device (1.2%). Its diagnostic indications include: the investigation of infertility (55.3%), dysfunctional uterine bleeding (8.7%), and postcoital bleeding (0.8%). The diagnostic yield of the instrument was 96.6%. Transient postoperative abdominal pain occurred in 65.9% of the cases while cervical dilatation preceded aspiration in 12.9% of the cases with cervical stenosis. The advantages of the instrument are discussed and its usefulness in everyday gynecological practice highlighted.