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What Causes Vaginal Spotting After Hysteroscopy?
Question: I had a hysteroscopy four months ago for fibroid removal. All was fine until yesterday, when I began to experience light spotting. What is the matter?
Brief Answer:
Most women experience irregular bleeding after a hysteroscopy
Detailed Answer:
Hello, and I hope I can help you today.
Having a fibroid removed via hysteroscopy is the most non-invasive way to have fibroid surgery, but most women do have some irregular bleeding while the area where the fibroid was in the uterine wall- called the bed of the fibroid- is still healing. Depending on the size of the fibroid, it can even take a few months for the bed to grow a new lining. In addition, if you were not fully menopausal before the surgery, you may also me having a light menstrual period, which also would not be unusual after four months time. If you take hormone replacement therapy, the bleeding can also be cause by the hormones as well.
If you continue to have irregular bleeding by 6 months after the surgery, you should re-consult with your surgeon as they may want to check a follow-up ultrasound to make sure the area has healed properly and that there are no other potential causes for the bleeding.
Either way, there is no reason to worry as nothing concerning like endometrial hyperplasia or cancer of the uterus could develop in such a short time since the surgery.
I hope that I was able to adequately answer your question today and that this information was reassuring. If I could be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. It would be helpful for me to know more details about your gynecologic history and the surgery to help determine the cause of your spotting if your situation does not apply to any of the possibilities I discussed above.
Best wishes,
Dr. Brown
Most women experience irregular bleeding after a hysteroscopy
Detailed Answer:
Hello, and I hope I can help you today.
Having a fibroid removed via hysteroscopy is the most non-invasive way to have fibroid surgery, but most women do have some irregular bleeding while the area where the fibroid was in the uterine wall- called the bed of the fibroid- is still healing. Depending on the size of the fibroid, it can even take a few months for the bed to grow a new lining. In addition, if you were not fully menopausal before the surgery, you may also me having a light menstrual period, which also would not be unusual after four months time. If you take hormone replacement therapy, the bleeding can also be cause by the hormones as well.
If you continue to have irregular bleeding by 6 months after the surgery, you should re-consult with your surgeon as they may want to check a follow-up ultrasound to make sure the area has healed properly and that there are no other potential causes for the bleeding.
Either way, there is no reason to worry as nothing concerning like endometrial hyperplasia or cancer of the uterus could develop in such a short time since the surgery.
I hope that I was able to adequately answer your question today and that this information was reassuring. If I could be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. It would be helpful for me to know more details about your gynecologic history and the surgery to help determine the cause of your spotting if your situation does not apply to any of the possibilities I discussed above.
Best wishes,
Dr. Brown
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Thank you for your response. I was fully menopausal at the time of the surgery. There was one fibroid, but it was very large. It was located at the top of the uterus. I do not take hormone replacement therapy. Do you still believe this is normal?
Brief Answer:
Yes it certainly can be normal to bleed even for up to 6 months.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again,
If your fibroid was large, it certainly can even take up to 6 months for the wall of the uterus to really heal fully. A hole the size of the fibroid is left in the uterine wall after surgery, and that whole defect must fill in with new tissue. The fact that you had no bleeding immediately after your surgery is actually unusual- most women have some bleeding or spotting for the first month or so.
So I really do not think you need to be concerned about some spotting at this stage. If the bleeding increases to the level of a period or you develop any other symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, foul smelling vaginal discharge, a fever greater than 101 degrees or does not stop within 1 week you should follow up with your doctor.
However, it is most likely that your uterus is still healing to some degree from the surgery and that is the explanation for the bleeding. Again, because your doctor was able to see your uterus during your surgery, there is really not much else that could have developed in such a short time that could be causing your symptoms.
I hope this additional information was helpful and eases your concerns. I am available if you need anything else.
Regards,
Dr. Brown
Yes it certainly can be normal to bleed even for up to 6 months.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again,
If your fibroid was large, it certainly can even take up to 6 months for the wall of the uterus to really heal fully. A hole the size of the fibroid is left in the uterine wall after surgery, and that whole defect must fill in with new tissue. The fact that you had no bleeding immediately after your surgery is actually unusual- most women have some bleeding or spotting for the first month or so.
So I really do not think you need to be concerned about some spotting at this stage. If the bleeding increases to the level of a period or you develop any other symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, foul smelling vaginal discharge, a fever greater than 101 degrees or does not stop within 1 week you should follow up with your doctor.
However, it is most likely that your uterus is still healing to some degree from the surgery and that is the explanation for the bleeding. Again, because your doctor was able to see your uterus during your surgery, there is really not much else that could have developed in such a short time that could be causing your symptoms.
I hope this additional information was helpful and eases your concerns. I am available if you need anything else.
Regards,
Dr. Brown
Note: Revert back with your gynae reports to get a clear medical analysis by our expert Gynecologic Oncologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
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