Office vaginoscopic hysteroscopy in infertile women: effects of gynecologist experience, instrument size, and distention medium on patient discomfort.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the roles of instrument diameter (5.0- or 3.5-mm external sheath), uterine distention medium (carbon dioxide [CO(2)] or saline solution), and hysteroscopist experience in diagnostic hysteroscopy.

DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, multicenter trial (Canadian Task Force classification I).

SETTING: Two university medical centers in Italy.

PATIENTS: One hundred eighty-four women attending an infertility clinic.

INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly assigned to undergo conventional hysteroscopy (group 1, n = 92) or minihysteroscopy (group 2, n = 92) with CO(2) or saline solution as distention medium. The procedures were performed by hysteroscopists with varying degrees of experience. Patient discomfort was analyzed using the visual analog score. Procedure complications and patient satisfaction rate were also recorded.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Independent of hysteroscopist experience, less pain, fewer complications, and higher satisfaction rates were observed with minihysteroscopy. In addition, procedures in which saline solution was used resulted in less pain and fewer complications than those in which CO(2) was used, but only when performed by inexperienced hysteroscopists.

CONCLUSION: Instrument diameter and hysteroscopist experience, but not the distention medium, seem to be the primary variables that affect the perception of discomfort during office hysteroscopy.