Anaesthesia and analgesia for ambulatory hysteroscopic surgery

Although ambulatory hysteroscopy is well established in dedicated centres, there is a delay in its general implementation. One reason for this may be the lack of consensus regarding a protocol for analgesia and anaesthesia in ambulatory hysteroscopy. This review looks at the various methods in use. These include the paracervical or intracervical injection of anaesthetic to establish a block. Topical anaesthetic may be applied to the surface of the endometrium in the uterine cavity or to the cervix. Oral analgesia is also used. A vaginoscopic approach to the uterine cavity without any anaesthesia is also becoming popular. Finally, combinations of the above methods have been employed for hysteroscopic surgical procedures, including the newer generation of endometrial ablation methods.