I must have been very lucky, as my hysteroscopy was hardly even uncomfortable, despite a biopsy being taken at the same time. However, the nurse who was performing it had not been trained to remove the polyps she spotted; so I went back a few weeks later to have them removed. I was told women generally found polypectomies easier than hysteroscopies so I was not worried, and refused the gas & air that was made available to me at the start of the procedure (which did surprise me, and made me wonder why I might need it if polypectomies weren't generally painful). I found the local anaesthetic injection into the cervix surprisingly painful, but thought the pain would go after a few seconds; however, to be honest, I don't know that I felt any numbing of my cervix. However, the procedure progressed and I was surprised how uncomfortable it was. I don't know when uncomfortable tipped into pain tipped into unbearable. It was all very confused. I asked for the gas and air but I don't know that made any difference either. I tolerated it as long as I could, but I had to tell the consultant to stop and that I couldn't continue with the procedure. None of the nurses seemed at all surprised I had stopped it, and all of them (there were 4 people in the room during the procedure) said they had felt I was 'going' ie beginning to pass out. Because I'd had gas and air I was told I'd have to sit outside the door for 10 minutes before I could go. There seemed no attempt at all to check on me though so I left myself after 10 minutes. No aftercare given or suggested. I began to cry on my way home, shocked, in pain and somewhat traumatised.
