Dilatation and Curettage: Indications and Complications

Dilatation and curettage is a procedure commonly done by obstetrician and gynaecologists to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions.

Procedure

You will be under the effects of anaesthesia during this procedure; hence you will not feel any discomfort during the procedure. For this procedure you will be required to lie on a table with your ankles rest on a support called stirrups. Your doctor will introduce a speculum into your vagina to visualise the cervix, after which your doctor will introduce a series of cervical dilators in the form of rod of increasing thickness, to dilate the cervix. After adequate dilation is achieved an instrument is introduced into the uterus via the cervix to remove uterine tissue for diagnosis or as part of a therapeutic procedure.

Indications of Dilatation & Curettage

Dilatation and curettage are done for diagnosis and for treatment. Your doctor might suggest you undergo dilatation and curettage if you are experiencing:

• Unexplained heavy and/or painful bleeding
• Abnormal endometrial cells turn up in your pap smear
• Bleeding after your menopause
• Unexplained infertility

This Procedure is used for the Treatment of:

• Molar pregnancy: an abnormal pregnancy that turns into a cancerous growth
• Incomplete abortion: to remove remaining parts of the foetus to prevent infection and heavy bleeding.
• Benign growths of cervix and uterus

Complications of Dilatation and Curettage

When done by an expert clinician, the chances of complications are very less. The complications seen are:

• Rupture of uterus
• Perforation of bowel loops
• Infection of the endometrium
• Heavy bleeding

You are advised to contact your doctor if you experience fever, foul-smelling vaginal discharge or pain that doesn’t improve with time.

Recovery

After the procedure you will be taken to the recovery room. As the effects of anaesthesia wear off you might feel groggy. This may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, it will go away in some time. Mild cramping and spotting following the procedure is common. You may ask your doctor for pain medication.

The layer of the uterus is removed during this procedure; hence your uterus needs to time to regenerate. Hence your next period may be delayed. If you are planning for a pregnancy, talk to your doctor about it.

Resources:

• ACOG: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• https://www.acog.org/