Side effects and complications of sonohysterosalpingography

Area of Science:

• Reproductive medicine
• Gynecological imaging
• Minimally invasive diagnostic procedures

Background:

• Sonohysterosalpingography is a key diagnostic tool for various gynecological conditions.
• Evaluating the safety and efficacy of sonohysterosalpingography is crucial for patient care.
• Understanding potential side effects and complications aids in procedural refinement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the side effects and complications of sonohysterosalpingography.
• To identify difficulties encountered during the procedure and propose solutions.
• To evaluate patient tolerance and pain perception during sonohysterosalpingography.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study conducted at a university hospital.
• 1,153 patients underwent sonohysterosalpingography for indications including abnormal uterine bleeding, infertility, and suspected Asherman syndrome.
• Side effects, complications, and patient-reported pain using a rating scale were the main outcome measures.

Main Results:

• 93% of procedures were performed successfully; 7% required a second attempt, with 60% of those being successful.
• Side effects like moderate to severe pelvic pain, vasovagal symptoms, nausea, and vomiting occurred in 8.8% of patients.
• Serious complications such as fever and peritonitis were rare, occurring in 0.95% of patients.

Conclusions:

• Sonohysterosalpingography is a simple, safe, and well-tolerated diagnostic technique.
• The procedure is associated with a low incidence of side effects.
• Complications are infrequent, supporting its use in gynecological diagnostics.