Vacuum cleaning of the uterus is a method of removing the contents of an organ cavity. For such a procedure, there are many indications. Most often, vacuum cleaning is prescribed after childbirth or miscarriage, to remove the embryo, which is stuck in the development, as well as to terminate the pregnancy. Most women are afraid of this procedure. However, this is the safest and most effective method to clean the uterine cavity.
Indications for the procedure
Vacuum cleaning of the uterus allows you to remove everything that is inside the organ along with part of the mucous membrane. Among the indications for a similar procedure, there are:
- cystic drift;
- serious fetal pathology that was detected before 12 weeks of pregnancy, for example, developmental delay;
- hematometer - accumulation in the body cavity of a large amount of blood;
- spontaneous miscarriage;
- upon detection of pieces of the placenta remaining after natural birth or cesarean section;
- studies of the microflora of the organ cavity;
- heavy bleeding.
The advisability of carrying out vacuum cleaning of the uterus is determined by the gynecologist. In some cases, such an operation is not required.
How is the operation
How do vacuum cleaning of the uterus? The operation is performed only in a hospital setting. During the procedure, the upper layer of the mucous membrane is removed. During menstruation, he is rejected. Therefore, the operation is considered physiological. However, some women experience pain during this procedure. For this reason, specialists use anesthesia. You can neglect pain relief after childbirth. During this period, the cervix is opened, and the organ itself is dilated. That is why the pain is not so strong.
It is worth noting that the most unpleasant sensations are the disclosure of the cervix. Because of this, the patient is first anesthetized, and then an expander. When the cervix is opened, the doctor begins to aspirate the contents of the cavity.
Vacuum cleaning of the uterus is carried out in several ways: machine and manual. The last method involves the use of a special syringe. With this method, the contents of the uterine cavity are aspirated by the force of the hands of the doctor himself. In the machine method, a special pump is used.
Stages of the procedure
Regardless of the chosen method of aspiration, the procedure consists of the following steps:
- anesthesia is administered intravenously;
- external genitals are treated with a disinfectant solution;
- a special mirror is inserted into the vagina;
- if local anesthesia was chosen, then at this stage an anesthetic is injected into the cervix;
- if necessary, the cervix is slightly opened;
- the distance from the uterine cavity to the entrance to the vagina is measured using a special umbrella;
- the suction tube is introduced;
- the outer layer of the organ cavity is absorbed during rotation of the tube.
The whole procedure takes from 5 to 15 minutes. If general anesthesia was used , then the patient will leave the operation for several hours. These effects do not cause local anesthesia. However, when using this method of anesthesia, the patient may experience cramping in the lower abdomen during surgery.
Do I need training
Vacuum cleaning of the uterus requires preparation of the patient. First of all, it depends on the reason why a similar procedure is indicated. After all, an operation to terminate a pregnancy will differ significantly from an operation after childbirth. In any case, the procedure is a surgical procedure. Before conducting it, the patient must undergo examinations, among which:
- ECG;
- biochemical and general blood tests;
- Rhesus factor and group analysis;
- blood coagulation test;
- analysis for hepatitis B and C, HIV and syphilis;
- smear on oncocytology.
Before prescribing vacuum cleaning of the uterus, the doctor must carefully examine the history, as well as the list of drugs that the patient took. In addition, the specialist should warn the woman about which medicines to use is not worth it.
What can not be done before the operation
Vacuum cleaning of the uterus, reviews of which are both positive and negative, requires not only a thorough examination of the patient. If the operation is planned in advance, then 14 days before the operation, the doctor does not recommend the woman to take drugs that affect blood coagulation. In addition, there are other restrictions that must be observed for three days before the intervention. At this time, you should:
- stop all sexual intercourse;
- refuse douching;
- Do not use cosmetics intended for hygiene of the genitals;
- stop using vaginal tablets and suppositories.
12 hours before the start of the operation, experts recommend giving up eating. This will make the anesthesia procedure safer.
Frozen pregnancy
Vacuum cleaning of the uterus with a frozen pregnancy is not always required. In most cases, the embryo leaves on its own. A miscarriage occurs. However, this may not happen. Then the frozen embryo can be detected only by ultrasound. A similar procedure is carried out in cases where the condition of a pregnant woman worsens significantly. If the embryo is not removed on time, sepsis and intoxication may begin.
With a frozen pregnancy for up to 5 weeks, a medical expulsion of the fetus is carried out. If the period is up to 12 weeks, then a vacuum cleaning of the uterus is prescribed. After such a surgical intervention, the doctor should observe the patient. If the temperature of her body increased, then the development of the inflammatory process is not excluded. Even if the woman’s condition does not worsen, after a while a second ultrasound is performed.
Postpartum surgery
Vacuum cleaning of the uterus after childbirth is carried out in cases where the health of the woman in childbirth worsens. The doctor should monitor for several days the patient's body temperature, the condition of the birth canal, sutures and the body as a whole. In addition, the specialist must take into account the intensity of the discharge. After all, particles of the placenta may remain in the uterine cavity after childbirth. In some cases, it must be removed by hand. This is due to the strong growth of the placenta to the walls of the uterus. A similar situation after cesarean section is not excluded. If a patient is suspected of having a complication, an ultrasound scan is performed.
If you do not carry out vacuum cleaning of the uterus when particles of the placenta are detected, purulent processes can begin. After the procedure, the patient remains in the hospital for some time. The doctor prescribes it only when her condition can be considered satisfactory. During this period, antibiotics, drugs that contribute to uterine contractions, and also antiseptic treatment are often prescribed.
Due to the use of large quantities of drugs, breastfeeding is not recommended. At the same time, milk should be expressed and disposed of regularly.
Intervention after a miscarriage
A miscarriage is a spontaneous abortion for up to 20 weeks. In some cases, a woman may not even notice such a process. Especially if it happened in the early stages of pregnancy. Often women perceive this as the next start of menstruation, but with copious discharge.
In some cases, vacuum cleaning of the uterus after a miscarriage is required . Over a long period, a woman can notice not only a large number of secretions, but also large blood clots, as well as particles of the embryo. In this case, bleeding can stop, and after some time to resume. This can lead to a delay in the uterine cavity of the aborted tissues, which often causes the development of the inflammatory process.
When miscarriage cleaning is required
If the gestational age is more than 13 weeks, then vacuum cleaning of the organ cavity is required, since the fetus is large enough and can completely or partially remain in the uterus. In this case, a woman may experience severe cramping and pain in the lower abdomen, which resemble contractions.
Cleaning is carried out in those cases when fragments of fetal membranes or a fetal egg remain in the uterine cavity after abortion . If a miscarriage is suspected, the patient is placed in a hospital for a day. In this case, the doctor may prescribe medications that cause uterine contractions. If during this time the fabrics did not come out on their own, then cleaning is carried out. Immediate intervention is prescribed for signs of infection of the uterine tissue with infection and with severe bleeding.
Vacuum cleaning of the uterus: consequences
Such procedures are most often performed for women without consequences, as evidenced by their feedback on the procedure. However, in some cases, problems may still occur:
- Incomplete removal of the contents of the cavity. The specialist during the procedure works blindly. If this happens, then re-cleaning is scheduled.
- Damage to the instruments of the cervix. May occur during organ opening. Such damage can lead to unbearable subsequent pregnancies.
- Uterine bleeding. During the procedure, damage to the fibroids or blood vessels may occur. In difficult cases, the doctor can completely remove the uterus.
- Infection This happens when the patient neglects the advice of doctors and does not observe personal hygiene. As a result, this can lead to the development of infertility and the onset of the inflammatory process.
- Neck weakening. In the future, this may cause a miscarriage.
After vacuum cleaning the uterus, some complications may occur. After all, a lot depends on the experience of the doctor. However, the development of pathology is not always the wrong work of a specialist. For example, when a woman terminates a pregnancy , a hormonal level malfunction may occur. Which also leads to undesirable consequences. When removing a frozen embryo or embryo residues, the risk of developing pathologies is less than with other types of surgical intervention.