O-025 Value of hysteroscopy

Abstract

Abstract text The 3 main characters in any ART are the uterus, the endometrium, and the embryo. With the rutinary use of 2D US and especially 3D US in infertile patients we are able to assess most of the uterine anomalies and intrauterine pathologies. Until recently, the assessment of the endometrial cavity with hysteroscopy was reserved only for cases of IVF failure, as a complementary evaluation to ensure that nothing was missed during the ultrasound scan. We also need to remember how hysteroscopy was performed in the past and, unfortunately, in some cases even today. In the old days, to assess the endometrial cavity, it was required to take the patient to the operating room and under general anesthesia, dilate the cervix to then introduce a large diameter hysteroscope only for diagnostic purposes. The prevalent working model in ART today is in close collaboration between Fertility specialists, Ultrasound and Hysteroscopy units in order to improve patient’s outcome. In our center, a diagnostic hysteroscopy is performed as part of the diagnostic workup of the infertility patient. It is performed in office setting and without anesthesia, by the staff of the reproduction and infertility unit. When we look at hysteroscopy as an in-office procedure and no longer as a procedure performed in operating room, we appreciate that it is something that all infertility patients can benefit from. The right question to ask now would be “Is there a benefit in performing a hysteroscopy to all our patients?”. Ultrasound is not perfect, especially when evaluating the endometrium. The gold standard and the only modality that we have to assess the endometrium with direct visualization is hysteroscopy. Chronic endometritis, adhesions and adenomyosis are only a few examples of what can be assessed by direct vision of the endometrial cavity. The advantages of a simple, inexpensive, office procedure such as hysteroscopy outweigh any other consideration against it. During my talk all these points will be presented helping to understand why hysteroscopy is becoming an indispensable tool in every assisted fertility unit.