Diagnostic curettage of the uterus is also called curettage or gynecological cleaning. This is a procedure that is carried out with special instruments or using a vacuum system to remove the top layer of the endometrium, which is then sent for histological examination. Sometimes diagnostic curettage is combined with hysteroscopy to examine the uterine cavity after the procedure.
Preparing for this manipulation
As a rule, diagnostic curettage is carried out a few days before menstruation, which reduces blood loss and contributes to faster recovery of the uterus. It is considered a surgical procedure, so a woman must undergo a general clinical blood test, a coagulogram, a vaginal smear and tests for the detection of sexually transmitted diseases before the procedure.
For 14 days before the procedure, it is advisable not to use any medication. If a woman has pathologies that require constant pharmacological therapy, then the medication should be agreed with the doctor.
3 days before the manipulation you needavoid sexual intercourse and douching. It is forbidden to wash with hygiene products, only warm water can be used during this period. Also, do not use vaginal suppositories, tablets or sprays. Do not eat for 12 hours prior to a scraping as eating may interfere with anesthesia.
Diagnostic curettage of the uterine cavity: methodology
Before the operation, the bladder and intestines are emptied. The perineum, as well as the external genitalia, are treated with alcohol and iodine solution. The same substances disinfect the vaginal mucosa and cervix and perform anesthesia. For easier expansion of the cervical canal, antispasmodics are administered 30 minutes before the operation. For anesthesia, adrenaline with novocaine is injected into the cervix and the cervix is dilated with the help of Hegar dilators, starting from the smallest diameter of this instrument.
Diagnostic curettage is performed with curettes. They also come in different sizes. Scraping is collected in a tray, after which it is washed with water from blood, after which it is lowered into a vial, filled with a solution of formaldehyde or 96% alcohol and sent to the laboratory.
Indications for diagnostic curettage
This manipulation is carried out under the following conditions:
• Irregular periods and bleeding between periods;
• excessively painful or heavy periods;
• spotting aftermenopause;
• infertility;
• Suspicion of a malignant tumor in the uterus.
Separate diagnostic curettage is carried out by separate curettage of the cervical canal and uterine cavity to detect polyps, cervical dysplasia, endometriosis and adhesions. It is also performed for uterine fibroids or endometrial hyperplasia.
Gynecological cleaning is not performed for infectious diseases, decompensated pathologies of the heart, kidneys or liver, as well as diseases of the genital organs.
It is worth noting that curettage can also be carried out for therapeutic purposes in missed pregnancy, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy.
