Hysteroscopy: You will be going home on the day of your surgery after you are able to eat and drink and have passed urine. You will stay in the hospital for a minimum of one hour for observations. You will need a responsible adult to pick you up from the hospital and stay with you overnight.
Leaflet Details
| Title | Hysteroscopy |
| Department | Day Surgery Unit |
| Author(s) | Claire Ellson-Credo, RN |
| Review Date | January 2022 |
| Next Review | January 2025 |
| Download | A5 Booklet PDF |
| Accessibility Options | Click on the Recite Me button to show our accessibility resources |
Patient Information
After your surgery
- You will be going home on the day of your surgery after you are able to eat and drink and have passed urine. You will stay in the hospital for a minimum of one hour for observations. You will need a responsible adult to pick you up from the hospital and stay with you overnight.
Bleeding
- You will experience a small amount of period-like bleeding from your vagina for a few days after surgery. Initially, this will be watery or red in color and would turn into a reddish-brown to brownish discharge until it settles down. If you had a biopsy from the womb lining, a polyp removed, this bleeding can last for 2 weeks. If you had a procedure to remove or burn the womb lining (endometrial ablation / resection) or to remove fibroids through hysteroscopy (Transcervical resection of fibroids or TCRF), the bleeding may last slightly longer, usually up to 4 weeks. All bleeding may have some clots.
- Please use sanitary pads after surgery and not tampons until the discharge has stopped. It is important to change your pads regularly and keep the area clean. This will help reduce the chance of infection.
Pain
- You will have slight period-like cramping for a few days. You can take simple pain relief, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, to help ease this until it settles down.
Activities
- You need to take it easy for a day or two. You are advised to take short walks the day after surgery, slowly building up to your normal activities.
- You can have a shower the day after your surgery. You are advised to avoid bathing or swimming until the discharge has stopped to avoid infection.
- You may resume sexual intercourse once the discharge has stopped and you feel comfortable to do so.
- You can return to work as soon as you feel able unless instructed by your surgeons.
- You are advised not to drive for 24 hours after surgery; if you do not feel comfortable enough to do so after this time, you are advised to wait for a few more days until you feel able to drive safely. It is also advisable to check with your insurance company as they may have different policies.
Blood clot prevention
- It is important that you resume normal activities as advised and keep active. You must wear the anti-embolic stockings given to you for 7 days, both during the day and at night. They can be removed while you have a shower and applied again afterwards.
- Depending on your other medical risk factors, you may be prescribed blood-thinning injections to take after your operation. These help prevent blood clots such as in the leg (deep vein thrombosis) or the lung (pulmonary embolus).
Follow up appointment
- Commonly, we will write to you with the results of any biopsy (tissue samples) or specimens sent to the laboratory for analysis. This analysis usually takes 3-4 weeks. You may not need a follow up appointment.
- If a follow-up appointment in the outpatient clinic is required, an appointment letter will be sent to you with the details by your surgeon’s secretary.
- If you had an intrauterine device (progesterone-containing intrauterine system or copper coil) inserted / changed, you will need to make an appointment with your GP surgery in 6 weeks’ time for a coil thread check.
What to watch out for:
Please contact your GP if:
- You notice any foul-smelling vaginal discharge and you develop a high temperature as these are signs of infection
- If the bleeding / discharge lasts longer than four weeks.
- If the intrauterine device has become dislodged i.e. if it has fallen out or the threads become much longer
Please attend Accident and Emergency department if:
- The pain becomes severe and unmanageable
- The vaginal bleeding becomes excessive and uncontrolled, such as needing to change a pad four times an hour and continuing.
Useful contact numbers:
- Day Surgery Unit Ashford Hospital 01784 884609 or 01784 884189 between 8am-9pm Monday to Friday
- Eliot ward 01784 884005 or 01784 884575 after 9pm on weekdays, all day weekends and bank holidays
- ASPH Main Switchboard 01932 872000 and ask to be connected to your surgeon’s secretary for appointment queries
If you feel unwell and needed urgent medical care, please go to your nearest Accident and Emergency Department immediately and bring your discharge letter with you.
