Tubal Patency Assessment (HyCoSy)
What are the common reasons for having this examination?
• Investigation of sub-fertility
• Recurrent miscarriage
You should not have the procedure if you are pregnant or may be pregnant at the time of the examination or you have acute pelvic infection or unexplained pelvic tenderness which may be due to pelvic inflammatory disease.
This technique is used to detect abnormalities of the uterus, endometrium and fallopian tubes or tubal blockage. Essentially a small amount of fluid is injected into the uterus through a fine tube. This procedure is a safer alternative to the conventional hysterosalpingogram (HSG) which uses X-rays. There is no radiation or iodinated contrast material used.
Will I need an anaesthetic?
No anaesthesia is required for this procedure. It is associated with some discomfort although HyCoSy is probably less uncomfortable than HSG as the fluid injected (saline or the sugar solution, Levovist ) is less irritant than the radio-opaque dye used in HSG. Saline is used where information about the uterus only is required and for most procedures assessing tubal patency, however where difficulty is experienced in demonstrating tubal patency Levovist is used. Levovist is a very expensive solution (around $100) compared to saline which costs only a few cents.
Some patients find a single dose, 1 hour prior to the procedure, of simple analgesia eg. Naprogesic helpful.
