What is hysteroscopy and how is it performed?
Hysteroscopy (from the Greek word “ύστερον”= uterus and endoscopy) is the detailed examination of the uterus (or endometrial cavity).
Hysteroscopy is done using a tiny, long and thin lighted tube (hysteroscope) that is inserted into the vagina to examine the uterine cervix. A special camera is attached to the external end, displaying the inside of the uterus on special HD monitors, thus enabling visualization.
When is it performed?
For the diagnosis (diagnostic hysteroscopy) and treatment (invasive hysteroscopy) of common gynecological conditions. Some common examples of surgical hysteroscopy are as follows: hysteroscopic polyp removal; hysteroscopic submucous fibroids removal, etc.
Laparoscopic surgery has gained popularity over the last decades as an alternative method for performing a multitude of procedures.
Laparotomy is still considered a reliable and trustworthy procedure for a trained surgeon to perform whenever deemed clinically necessary.
The first total laparoscopic radical hysterectomy, with complete lymph node dissection, was performed in Greece in 2004 by Dr. G. Hilaris and his team.