Exonian

I was a Registered Nurse who was still practising when I had my outpatient hysteroscopy, so understood the concept of informed consent, which only much later became clear that I had not given. I had previously had one under a GA at the same time as a laparoscopy, so it had not occurred to me to research the subject as I had wrongly assumed that I would be given accurate information regarding the procedure. I was made to feel as if it was my fault for passing out during this procedure, that my reaction to unbearable, excruciating pain was as rare as hen's teeth. I was not treated with respect. It was only some years later, when I read a newspaper report on the experiences of women who had been conned in to having this procedure with no pain relief offered, that I realised that my experience was far from uncommon. In order to feel safe, patients need to know that they are not being lied to and that their individual circumstances and medical history are being taken in to consideration, as they always should be. It appears, though, that many women are still being subjected to "office" hysteroscopy inappropriately, when their history, had anyone bothered to consider it, would demonstrate that this was contraindicated - for instance, women who have never given birth vaginally, who have had severe dysmenorrhoea during their menstrual history, and are post menopausal. In 2020, women should not have to fight for their right to have appropriate pain relief or a GA.

This is what happened to me. I did not have a compassionate nurse, and I might as well have been a piece of meat who caused both the nurse or healthcare assisitant, and the female Dr, ( neither or whom introduced themselves ) inconvenience by passing out due to the indescribable pain. I have not had children and was post menopausal at the tie of my barbaric procedure. I also had really bad period pains from day one, all of which are contraindications for OPH.

I had an outpatient hysteroscopy for which my informed consent was not obtained. This was before Montogomery rules applied. I was completely misled re: the possibility of pain. If it was mentioned at all, it would have been described as being like period pain. As I had suffered from severe dysmenorrhoea from day one, I might have considered this to be acceptable. I was not offered any pain relief, nor was I given the option of a GA. I was most definitely not a candidate for this procedure as an outpatient: I was post menopausal, have not given birth, and have a retroverted uterus, all of which are contraindications. I have never felt such pain in my life. It was absolutely excruciating, and as a result I dropped my blood pressure to my boots ( I assume, because no observations were recorded, which is in itself unacceptable ). In layman's terms, I passed out. Not only did the female Dr who performed this torture shove the hysteroscope through my cervix roughly, she took an endometrial biopsy, which was when I passed out. There was no help from what I presume was a nurse, who was also present, and I was unceremoniously dumped in a corridor, with oxygen in situ, for about half an hour, my reaction clearly being a source of irritation to both members of staff. I was led to believe that my response to their barbarity was as rare as hen's teeth, only to discover years later that it was not, indeed it is a common occurrence. This practice is being promoted inappropriately as the gold standard for the investigation of heavy menstrual bleeding, but this is a disgrace of national proportions.