Hysteroscopy (inspection of the uterus by endoscopy)

In addition to checking for tubal patency, the endoscopic inspection of the uterine cavity has in recent years become an established method to diagnose infertile patients. A hospital usually carries out this examination under short-term anaesthesia:

A thin rod containing optical lenses and a light source is introduced into the uterine cavity to see whether the uterine cavity is normal. A hysteroscopy is particularly useful if the patient is suspected to suffer from myomas penetrating the uterine cavity, congenital uterine changes (e.g. septa = partitions), polyps of the uterine mucosa or adhesions in the uterine cavity. All these changes can play a role in infertility as well as increasing the risk of miscarriage. Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, a surgical correction is therefore usually indicated.