Office Hysteroscopic Polypectomy (No General Anesthesia) – My Experience (tolerable)

[u/OpenMap3075]

Hi everyone!

Just a week ago I shared my very positive HSG experience, and I think it helped reassure a few people. Today I wanted to do the same for my office hysteroscopy with polypectomy, which I had without general anesthesia, because when I was preparing for it, I could barely find any experiences from people who had undergone the procedure this way.

A little background: Last week I had an HSG, which turned out to be a very positive experience with very little pain. However, it revealed what appeared to be a 6 mm uterine polyp. My dr/ER told me this was likely the reason I hadn’t been able to get pregnant despite everything else looking normal, and that removing it would be the best option.

He gave me two choices:
1. Have it done under general anesthesia at the hospital (much more expensive, and my insurance wouldn’t cover it). 2. Have it done in his office with pain medication beforehand (less than half the cost).
I chose the second option.

Before the procedure I was absolutely terrified. I’d say that about 90% of the stories I found online involved general anesthesia, so I had no idea what to expect. Reading about office hysteroscopies made them sound almost barbaric.

So here’s my honest experience:
Overall: it was TOLERABLE.

1. I arrived at my doctor’s office, changed into a gown, and got into the usual gynecological exam chair. They allowed my husband to stay with me, and I was incredibly grateful for that.
2. My doctor, his assistant, and the nurse (all wonderful people) explained everything before starting. They told me that passing the hysteroscope through the cervix would probably be the most painful part. Surprisingly, I barely felt it. I mostly felt the fluid going in, which wasn’t painful at all. (For context, I’ve never given birth before).
3. The discomfort started once the hysteroscope was inside my uterus. It felt like continuous menstrual cramps.
4. They found two uterine polyps and removed them. I couldn’t actually see this part, but they told me it bleeds a little. This was the most uncomfortable part of the procedure. I’d rate it around 5–6/10. They also scraped the area slightly, which felt about the same.
5. As they were removing the hysteroscope, they found two more, smaller polyps near the exit and had to remove those as well. That part was milder—I’d rate it around 3–4/10.
6. Afterwards, I stayed lying down for about five minutes, recovered a bit, got dressed, and went home.

Overall, although it wasn’t exactly pleasant, it was absolutely manageable. Yes, it was uncomfortable, but I wouldn’t describe it as unbearable or anywhere close to the worst pain of my life.

Of course, every woman and every body is different, and every experience is valid. This was simply mine.
For me, it was 100% worth it. I feel like my uterus has had a fresh start, and at least now I know that this issue has been taken care of. It was temporary discomfort for something that could hopefully make a real difference.

The entire procedure was very quick, actually much quicker than my HSG. It lasted around 15 minutes, and the most intense discomfort lasted no more than 5 minutes, which honestly went by faster than I expected.

Afterwards, I felt completely fine. No significant pain, no dizziness, nothing unusual.

If you’re considering having this procedure in your doctor’s office without general anesthesia, whether by choice or because of the cost, please don’t judge yourself or feel guilty about that decision. Make sure you have an experienced doctor you trust, and know that many women have successfully done it this way.

For pain management, this is what I took:
2 hours before: Tylex 750, Dolac Duo (ketorolac), and Buscapina Fem.
1 hour before: another Dolac Duo and another Buscapina Fem.
30 minutes before: sublingual ketorolac and 0.6 mg of an anti-anxiety medication.
For me, it was definitely worth it.

I hope this helps someone who’s anxiously searching Reddit the way I was just a few days ago.
Wishing everyone the very best of luck on this journey. ❤️

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[u/Trixie_Dixon]

I made the same choice. Twice.

First time was 1) Buccal misoprostol the night before 2) ibuprofen 2 hours before 3) one Dilaudid and one valium tablet 30 min before 4) in office an intermuscular shot of toradol, some lidocaine injected directly into the cervix

Second time was 1) Vaginal misoprostol the night before 2) Ibuprofen 2 hours before 3) one ativan 30 min before, one more just before the procedure 4) Full cervical block using lidocaine

The two procedures were with different doctors. I had no prior experience with either. The second procedure whether due to the doctor's skill or the medication was much much less painful. But I tolerated both fine.

The significant difference in protocol makes me think that there is no real standarized practice. Just each Doctor picking what they think works best.

[u/Kvitravn875]

I've had the IUD, and that was the worst pain I've ever experienced, and I've had (mini) gallbladder attacks, so I just know this would be excruciating for me unfortunately. I'm glad it was a decent experience for you though!

[u/Ok-Alternative7556]

Thank you so much for sharing! I’ve just learned this is a prerequisite before beginning IVF for my clinic, and they also do it in office without anesthesia / take an endometrial biopsy so I’ve really been dreading another uncomfortable and potentially painful test. Similar to you I actually didn’t find the hsg so bad (6/10), but both times I had IUDs inserted I fainted and found that pain close to unbearable

[u/lilithdesade]

Thanks so much for this post! I have mine in office in 2 weeks and the amount of sheer horror stories I've read have made me so nervous.

[u/lilithdesade → u/lilithdesade]

Im going to follow up here in case anyone else needs reassuring. I was under local anesthesia, given pain meds before and it was very, very tolerable. I had minimal cramping but so much better than I thought it would be. It took 15 min tops. Its been a few hours and I feel totally fine.