Dilation and Curettage (D&C)
This excerpt from ACOG’s Patient Education Pamphlet is provided for your information. It is not medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for visiting your doctor. If you need medical care, have any questions, or wish to receive the full text of this Patient Education Pamphlet, please contact your obstetrician-gynecologist.
Copyright © August 1998 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Dilation and curettage (D&C) is a procedure used to diagnose or treat abnormal bleeding from the uterus. It can be used to help detect cancer of the uterus.Dilation means to stretch the opening of the cervix to make it wider. Curettage involves removing a sample of the lining of the uterus — endometrium — to be examined later.
Reasons for a D&C
A D&C may be done to assess conditions that could cause abnormal bleeding.
Menstrual Changes
Menstrual periods can be irregular at certain times of life. For the first few years after a girl begins to have periods (around age 12), periods are often irregular. As women approach the age of 50, their periods once again may become irregular as they near menopause.
Women with such changes in their cycles should be checked by a doctor. These changes may be due to a hormonal problem.
Growths and Cancer
Another cause for bleeding can be abnormal growths in the uterus. Most of these growths are not cancerous.
- Polyps are growths that develop from the lining of the uterus or cervix.
- Fibroids are growths that form from cells that make up uterine muscle.
Miscarriage
If a woman has a miscarriage, tissue from the pregnancy may remain in her uterus.
The D&C Procedure
A D&C can be done in a doctor’s office, an outpatient clinic or a hospital. Your health and the type of anesthesia to be used will play a part in determining where the procedure is performed. The D&C may be done with other procedures such as hysteroscopy, in which a small, lighted telescope is used to view the inside of the uterus.
Risks
Complications are rare. When they do occur, they include bleeding, infection or perforation (when the tip of an instrument passes through the wall of the uterus).
Recovery
After the procedure, you will probably be able to go home within a few hours. You will need someone to take you home. You should be able to resume most of your regular activities in one or two days.
After a D&C, a new lining will build up in the uterus. Your next menstrual period may not occur at the regular time. It may be early or late.
Finally …
A D&C is usually free of problems. The recovery period is short. If you have a D&C, your doctor will ask that you make an appointment to see him or her soon after surgery to discuss the results.