[Ambulatory hysteroscopy--a new trend in the diagnosis and treatment of intrauterine pathology].

OBJECTIVE

An analysis of ambulatory hysteroscopic procedures.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and the General Faculty Hospital, Apolinárská 18, Prague 2, Czech Republic.

METHODS

The sample consists of 225 patients who underwent ambulatory hysteroscopy, during the period between September 1999 to February 2000. The sample makes up 46.3% of the total number of hysteroscopies performed during that period. The procedures were performed under a paracervical block, only rarely in combination with analgesic sedation.

RESULTS

Indications for the procedure were most often abnormal uterine bleeding peri- or postmenopausally, 51.2%, abnormal ultrasound findings in 9.8%, and endometrial polyps in 1.8%. In only 23.11% of cases, hysteroscopy was performed in the frame of TCS (transcervical surgery), the remaining procedures were diagnostic. The paracervical block was a great benefit to the comfort of the ambulatory procedures. In 93%, the procedure was evaluated as comfortable, in 4.8% there was discomfort, and in only 2.2% general anesthesia was used due to significant pain. We did not observe any early or late complications.

CONCLUSION

Hysteroscopy can be performed as an ambulatory procedure, assuming quality equipment, an experienced surgeon, and properly administered local anesthesia. Our results demonstrate that hysteroscopy is not only a diagnostic procedure, but can be used for certain procedures in the area of TCS (with low or intermediate level of difficulty).