Patient Basics: Hysteroscopy

A hysteroscopy is a procedure that lets a doctor look inside the uterus (womb) with a thin, lighted camera passed through the vagina and cervix. No cuts are needed. It is used to find the cause of problems such as heavy or unusual bleeding, and small growths can often be removed during the same visit. Most people go home the same day and feel back to normal within a day or two.

Key points

• The camera (a hysteroscope) is about as thin as a pencil or thinner.
• A simple hysteroscopy can be done in the office in 5 to 15 minutes, often with only pain medicine taken beforehand.
• Longer procedures to remove polyps or fibroids are done with sedation or general anesthesia.
• Expect period-like cramps and light bleeding for a few days.
• Serious problems are rare.

Why hysteroscopy is done

A hysteroscopy can help find and treat:

• Heavy periods, bleeding between periods, or any bleeding after menopause
• Polyps, small soft growths in the lining of the uterus
• Fibroids that bulge into the inside of the uterus
• Scar tissue inside the uterus (adhesions)
• A wall of tissue that divides the uterus (a septum), present from birth
• Problems getting pregnant, or repeated miscarriages
• An IUD that has moved or whose strings can’t be found

A doctor can take tissue samples (a biopsy) to check for cancer or precancer. Hysteroscopy is also used to guide endometrial ablation, a treatment that destroys the lining to reduce heavy bleeding.

Diagnostic hysteroscopy is done just to look. Operative hysteroscopy uses tiny tools passed through the scope to remove or repair something.

How to prepare for a hysteroscopy

• Timing. It is usually planned for the week after your period ends, when the lining is thin and easy to see. You’ll be asked for the date of your last period and will usually have a pregnancy test.
• Pain relief. For an office procedure, you may be told to take ibuprofen or naproxen about an hour before.
• Cervix-softening medicine. Some doctors prescribe misoprostol the night before or the morning of the procedure. It can cause cramps and light bleeding.
• Medicines and health. Tell your doctor about blood thinners, allergies, and any chance of pregnancy or pelvic infection.
• Food. With sedation or general anesthesia, don’t eat for about 6 to 8 hours before. With an office procedure, you can usually eat lightly.
• A ride home. You’ll need someone to drive you if you have sedation.
• Bring a pad. You’ll have some bleeding or watery discharge afterward.

If you are given a rectal suppository for pain or nausea, lie on your side with your top knee bent toward your chest. Gently push the suppository, pointed end first, about an inch into the rectum, and stay lying down for a few minutes.

What happens during hysteroscopy

You lie on your back with your feet in supports, as for a Pap test. The doctor places a speculum in the vagina and may numb the cervix with a shot. In some offices, the scope goes in without a speculum.

The hysteroscope is passed slowly through the cervix. Salt water (saline) flows through it to gently open up the uterus so the walls can be seen on a screen. You may feel cramping, like strong period pain, and fluid running out. If tissue is removed, small tools go through the scope. A diagnostic look takes 5 to 15 minutes. Removing growths can take 30 minutes or more.

Afterward

• Cramping usually eases within a day or two. Ibuprofen and a heating pad help.
• Light bleeding or watery, pink discharge can last a few days and sometimes up to 2 weeks.
• If gas was used to open the uterus, you may feel shoulder pain for a day.
• Most people go back to work the next day, or the same day after an office procedure.
• Avoid sex, tampons, baths and swimming for about a week, or as long as your doctor advises, to lower the chance of infection.

Possible risks

Hysteroscopy has a low risk of problems. Uncommon ones are:

• Infection of the uterus
• Heavy bleeding
• A small tear in the cervix
• A hole made in the wall of the uterus (perforation). It often heals by itself but sometimes needs another procedure.
• Absorbing too much fluid into the bloodstream during long operative procedures. The team measures fluid closely to prevent this.
• Reactions to anesthesia

Your results

Your doctor can usually tell you what they saw before you leave. If tissue was removed or sampled, lab results take about 1 to 2 weeks.

When to call your doctor

• Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or chills
• Bleeding that soaks a pad every hour for 2 hours
• Pain that gets worse instead of better, or isn’t eased by pain medicine
• Discharge that smells bad

Call 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting or severe belly pain.

Common questions about hysteroscopy

Is a hysteroscopy painful?

Most people feel cramping that ranges from mild to strong, much like period pain, mainly while the scope passes through the cervix. Taking ibuprofen beforehand and having the cervix numbed help. If you are worried about pain, ask about sedation or having the procedure in an operating room.

How long does bloating last after hysteroscopy?

Bloating usually settles within a day or two, as your body absorbs or passes the fluid or gas used during the procedure. If gas was used, some shoulder pain can come with it. Bloating with fever, worsening pain or a hard belly needs a call to your doctor.

How long does it take to recover from a hysteroscopy?

Most people feel normal within 1 to 2 days. Recovery after removing larger fibroids can take a few more days. Light bleeding may last up to 2 weeks. Ask your doctor when you can return to exercise, sex and tampons.

Questions to ask your doctor

• Why do I need a hysteroscopy, and what will you look for?
• Will it be done in the office or an operating room?
• What pain relief or sedation will I have?
• Will you remove anything during the procedure?
• When will I get the results?

Learn more

• Hysteroscopy (MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine)
• Hysteroscopy (NHS)

This guide is general information and doesn’t replace advice from your own doctor. Last updated October 2026.