- Experiences abnormal uterine bleeding
- Has thickened endometrium
- Has vaginal bleeding even after menopause
- Develops abnormal endometrial cells. This may be reported in a Pap smear result when seen.
Therapeutic D&C for Treatment
A woman also needs to undergo a therapeutic dilation and curettage procedure to treat certain conditions. Unlike endometrial sampling where the doctor only takes a small sample, therapeutic D&C would need to remove contents from the uterus. Therefore, D&C is done to:
- Remove a molar pregnancy. A molar pregnancy happens when a tumor develops in the womb instead of a normal pregnancy.
- Prevent further bleeding and infection. D&C clears out the tissues and other remnants of a miscarriage or abortion. If these tissues remain in the womb, infection and bleeding may happen.
- Clear out “afterbirth.” After successfully giving birth, placental remains may stay in the womb of the mother, causing abnormal bleeding. D&C removes these placental remains.
- Remove polyps. Benign or noncancerous polyps sometimes develop in the cervix and uterus. The dilation and curettage procedure can remove these polyps.
Overview of the D&C Procedure
A doctor may perform D&C in the clinic, hospital, or health center. Generally, the procedure will follow the steps below.
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