DANGERS AND COMPLICATIONS INVOLVE IN D&C ( DILATION CURETTAGE)

 DANGERS AND COMPLICATIONS INVOLVE IN D&C ( DILATION CURETTAGE)



A dilation and curettage is also called a “D & C” or “D and C.” It’s a minor surgery that involves dilating or opening the cervix. The cervix is the opening to your uterus or womb. After dilating your cervix, your doctor uses a spoon-shaped object called a curette to remove tissue from the inner lining of your uterus.
The procedure occurs in a doctor’s office, a women’s health clinic, a day surgery center, or a hospital.

There are many reasons that a doctor might order this procedure. The most common reasons are:

• to determine the reason for heavy bleeding during or between your menstrual periods
• to remove non-cancerous tumors, or fibroids
• to remove and examine potentially cancerous tumors
• to remove infected tissue, which is often caused by a sexually transmitted disease called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
• to remove tissue left behind in the womb after miscarriage or childbirth
• to perform an elective abortion
• to remove an intrauterine device (IUD), which is a form of birth control

 Dilation curettage is usually very safe, and complications are rare. However, there are risks. These include:

• Perforation of the uterus. Perforation of the uterus occurs when a surgical instrument pokes a hole in the uterus. This happens more often in women who were recently pregnant and in women who have gone through menopause.
  Most perforations heal on their own. However, if a blood vessel or other organ is damaged, a second procedure may be necessary to repair it.
  
• Damage to the cervix. If the cervix is torn during the D&C, your doctor can apply pressure or medicine to stop the bleeding, or can close the wound with stitches (sutures).
• Scar tissue on the uterine wall. Rarely, a D&C results in development of scar tissue in the uterus, a condition known as Asherman's syndrome. Asherman's syndrome happens most often when the D&C is done after a miscarriage or delivery.
  This can lead to abnormal, absent or painful menstrual cycles, future miscarriages and infertility.
  
• Infection. Infection after a D&C is possible, but rare.

Contact your doctor if you experience any of the following after a D&C:

• Bleeding that's heavy enough that you need to change pads every hour
• Fever
• Cramps lasting more than 48 hours
• Pain that gets worse instead of better
• Foul-smelling discharge from the vagina