Pediatric Foley Catheter Placement After Operative Hysteroscopy Does Not Cause Ascending Infection

To determine the incidence of postoperative ascending infection without antibiotics with the use of a pediatric Foley catheter (PFC) after operative hysteroscopy for intrauterine pathology.

Retrospective case series (Canadian Task Force classification III).

University-affiliated outpatient medical center.

Patients who underwent operative hysteroscopy for uterine septum, arcuate uterine anomaly, or multiple submucosal myomas between 1992 and 2015.

In all patients, a PFC was placed in the endometrial cavity at the conclusion of operative hysteroscopy and left in place for 7 days to reduce intrauterine adhesion formation.

A total of 1010 patients who underwent operative hysteroscopy for uterine septum (n = 479), arcuate uterine anomaly (n = 483), or multiple submucosal myomas (n = 48) were studied. All patients presented with infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, or excessive uterine bleeding (in patients with submucous myomas). In all patients, a PFC was placed at the conclusion of the procedure and left in place for 7 days. An 8Fr PFC was used after hysteroscopic division of uterine septum or arcuate uterine anomaly, and a 10Fr PFC was used after hysteroscopic myomectomy. Patients with a history of pelvic inflammatory disease were excluded. Following PFC placement, patients were prescribed estrogen for 6 weeks and progestogen for the last 10 days of the estrogen course. No prophylactic antibiotic therapy was provided. All patients were discharged to home on the same day. Postoperative pain was well controlled with oral pain medication in 98.5% of the patients. There were no reported postoperative infections, and all patients had an uneventful recovery.

In 1010 consecutive operative hysteroscopies followed by temporary (7-day) PFC placement, no clinically significant uterine infection was observed.