Dilatation and Curettage
(D&C)
What is dilation and curettage?
Dilatation and Curettage (D&C) is a procedure in which the uterine lining is sampled with a metal device called a curette in order to determine if there is an abnormality with the cells that line the uterus (endometrium). Most commonly, this surgery is done in order to help determine the cause of abnormal uterine bleeding. It can also be done to help determine the degree of abnormality of the endometrium in cases of cancer or pre-cancerous cells that are detected by an in-office biopsy . D&C is also used to evaluate post-menopausal women who have had abnormal cells appear on their pap smears.
Why is a D&C done?
In general, a D&C is used to help determine the health of the uterine lining. Occasionally, the procedure can correct some of the problems in the uterus such as polyps, scar tissue, or overgrowth.
What are reasons not to perform a D&C?
There are very few contraindications to D&C. Generally if a patient is too ill to undergo surgery, then she should probably not have this procedure. Furthermore, if the patient is unable to move her legs apart, such as with severe arthritis in the hips, the surgeon may not be able to perform the procedure since it requires enough movement of the legs to accommodate a speculum and the surgeon. If the patient is pregnant or thinks that she could be pregnant, she should not have the operation unless the D&C is for the purpose of an abortion.
Pre-op: What happens before surgery?
Before a D&C, the same general rules for other outpatient procedures apply. It is recommended that the patient take nothing by mouth (food, water, etc.) for at least 7 hours before the scheduled operation. Often, the doctor will see the patient the day before surgery to discuss the procedure and the potential complications in greater detail.
What anesthesia issues relate to a D&C?
Most D&Cs are done under general anesthesia. The procedure is normally very short and the general anesthetic can be quickly reversed, with the patient going home soon afterwards. Some patients prefer or require spinal or epidural blocks, but these forms of anesthesia take more time for the anesthetist to perform and require more recovery time for the patient. Occasionally, in a very motivated patient, the procedure can be done under a local anesthetic with or without intravenous pain medication or twilight sleep . Overall, the choice of anesthetic is a generally determined by the anesthesiologist and the patient. The surgeon performing the procedure only requires that the patient not move during the surgery.
How and when is a D&C performed?
The actual procedure is done in an operating room, either in a hospital, surgicenter, or specially designated room in a physician's office. After adequate anesthesia has been administered, and with the patient in position (similar to that for a pap smear ), the vagina and cervix are cleansed with an antibacterial scrub (usually betadine). An instrument is used to grasp the upper portion of the cervix and then the opening to the uterus is gradually widened with metal dilators to about the size of a large pencil. Once this dilatation has been completed, the curette, which is an instrument with a flat metal loop at the end, is inserted into the uterine cavity and is used to gently scrape the lining of the uterus. When the surgeon feels the gritty layer of cells just above the muscle of the uterus, then he/she knows that the scraping has gone deep enough to sample the tissue adequately. This scraping is done throughout the uterus and the tissue that is removed is then sent to a pathologist for microscopic examination. Once the surgeon feels that enough tissue has been obtained, or that all of the cavity has been sampled, or that any abnormal growths that were seen on ultrasound were removed, then the procedure is stopped. Often, the doctor uses a viewing instrument to examine the uterus visually ( hysteroscopy ) prior to the D&C to make the procedure more complete. This is not, however, always necessary.
What are possible complications of a D&C?
The D&C procedure is usually very uncomplicated. The most common complication that can occur is perforation of the uterus with either the dilators or the curette. When this happens, as long as no internal organs (intestines, bladder, or rectum), or large blood vessels are damaged, the hole will almost always heal itself without further surgery. The risk for this problem is increased in patients with a narrowed opening to the cervix (cervical stenosis) or in patients with distorted internal uterine anatomy. This risk is also increased if the uterus is infected or has undergone previous surgeries such as cesarean sections or myomectomies.
Other complications include bleeding and infection. Most bleeding is rather self-limiting and requires nothing more that occasional oral medications. Infection is also rare and can normally be managed with outpatient antibiotics. Most D&Cs do not require the routine use of post operative antibiotics. On occasion, in patients with certain heart defects, the surgeon may give the patient antibiotics before and after the surgery to prevent bacteria from the vagina from infecting the heart valves.
What is the follow-up to a D&C?
The follow-up to a D&C depends on the surgeon. Most doctors have the patient return to the office to make sure that all is well and to discuss the results of the tissue samples that were removed. Usually, this is done 2 to 6 weeks post-operatively. Sometimes, the patient will simply be notified by a phone call with the results and no direct contact with a health professional is necessary.
Why is the D&C procedure becoming less common?
In general the number of D&Cs being performed has declined over the years. This procedure is no longer done to regulate abnormal bleeding patterns in women. Most of these problems are now managed with medications, such as hormones. Ultrasound is likewise playing a greater role in helping to evaluate the uterus without surgery.
Probably the single greatest reason for fewer D&Cs is the option of in-office endometrial sampling that can be performed with a very thin plastic suction curette. This procedure is very quick and easy, and generally is only as painful as a bad menstrual cramp. If the patient is given some oral pain medications before the procedure, the cramps are minimal. Furthermore, the tissue sample obtained is in many instances as good as that achieved during a D&C surgery.
Medical Author: Leon J. Baginski, MD, FACOG
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
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