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Chapter 9 - Complications of Hysteroscopic Surgery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 September 2020

By
Kevin Phillips  and
T. Justin Clark
Edited by
Mary E. Connor  and
T. Justin Clark
Mary E. Connor
Affiliation:
Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield
T. Justin Clark
Affiliation:
Birmingham Women’s Hospital
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Summary

Hysteroscopy is safe and effective and can greatly reduce morbidity and enhance recovery compared with conventional open procedures. Furthermore, it can minimise the inherent risks of general anaesthesia and hospital admissions because many hysteroscopic procedures can now be delivered in non-anaesthetised women in an outpatient setting. The overall complication rate of hysteroscopic intervention is estimated to be less than 1% [1, 2], of which half is due to serious complications, namely fluid overload, uterine perforation and upper genital tract haemorrhage. Complications occur during access and entry into the uterine cavity or during the diagnostic or operative procedure. Complication rates are higher with operative hysteroscopy (0.95%) compared with purely diagnostic procedures (0.13%) [1]. These risks are highest with more complex hysteroscopic surgery such as myomectomy and adhesiolysis and lowest with purely diagnostic procedures.

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Chapter
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Diagnostic and Operative Hysteroscopy , pp. 109 - 117
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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