How do I know if I have polyps?
If your doctor suspects that you have uterine polyps, he or she might perform one of the following tests or procedures:
- Hysteroscopy. Doctors may perform a procedure called hysteroscopy to diagnose and treat uterine polyps. In a hysteroscopy, your doctor inserts a thin, flexible, lighted telescope (hysteroscope) through your vagina and cervix into your uterus. Hysteroscopy allows your doctor to examine the inside of your uterus and remove any polyps that are found. This eliminates the need for a follow-up procedure.
- Transvaginal ultrasound. A slender, wand-like device placed in your vagina sends out sound waves and creates an image of your uterus, including its interior.
- Hysterosonography. This involves having salt water (saline) injected into your uterus through a small tube (catheter) threaded through your vagina and cervix. The saline expands your uterine cavity, which gives the doctor a clearer view of the inside of your uterus.
- Curettage. Your doctor uses a long metal instrument with a loop on the end (curret) to scrape the walls of your uterus. This may be done to collect a specimen for laboratory testing (biopsy) or to remove a polyp. Curettage may be performed on its own (blind curettage) or with the guidance of a hysteroscope.
Find a doctor in your area who can tell you more about the MyoSure® procedure.
Are polyps a sign of pre-cancer?
In other tissues, such as the colon, polyps have long been considered an "early warning sign" of cancer; in contrast, uterine polyps are generally thought not to be cancerous.
