Day clinic diagnostic hysteroscopy in a state hospital

Within 6 years (1991-97), a total of 680 diagnostic hysteroscopies were performed at the Day Clinic of the 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Athens ("Alexandra" Hospital). The procedure was done without general or other forms of anesthesia, using the Siegler method of approach. However in 12 cases with cervical stenosis (1.7%) and 21 patients with marked nervousness (3.1%) general anesthesia proved inevitable. The leading indication was repeated failure of IVF (54.7%), while other indications included abnormal bleeding, amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea, a history of abortions, and infertility. Abnormal hysteroscopic findings were observed in 276 cases (40.5%) among which intrauterine adhesions, endometrial hyperplasia and polyps were the most common. We had no major complications or fatalities in our series and hysteroscopy proved to be a very useful, accurate and safe method of assessing uterine and endometrial functional status.