random d&c before an iud insertion ?

[topolski18]

My friend just went to hospital to get Skyla inserted. She was sedated and intubated. Afterwards, they told her that they did a D&C in order to "clear out space in her uterus" (the nurses words). I have never heard of this, ever. Has anyone ever heard of a D&C being performed prior to IUD insertion to "clear out space"? She was not pregnant and she did not know they were doing a d&c prior to being sedated, they told her after. She is of course bleeding and cramping. I was shocked to hear about this. Is this standard procedure? I cannot find anything online about it.

 

[beckylovesyou]

@topolski18 No, that’s not standard procedure.

All procedures need patient authorisation.

Does she have endo? Was a endo treatment procedure discussed prior to her referral?

 

[pineapple2]

@topolski18 She should look at the consent forms that she signed and see if there is any reference to the D&C. She should also follow up with the doctor that did the procedure and ask some questions. There might have been a situation that presented itself in the moment that the doc wasn't aware of at the beginning that would have necessitated the procedure. I wouldn't jump to anything nefarious, but docs and nurses are often rushed and the debriefing process, especially when recovering from anaesthesia can suck.

 

[katrina2017]

@topolski18 Perhaps she had fibroids

 

[lumberjack_964]

@topolski18 No, that's not standard. It's also not standard to be sedated and intubated. Most IUD insertions are done fully awake, or at most with some anti-anxiety medication. Having them done under any degree of true anesthesia is usually a special request if someone has been unable to tolerate awake insertion.

It sounds like a very unusual situation all around, I wonder if there was some other medical issues that needed to be solved at the same time and it got lost in translation of what she was telling you. D&C is commonly for second trimester abortion or resolving an incomplete miscarriage, but it can also be used for anything where they need to remove or sample the lining of the uterus. Maybe they discovered something unexpected while she was under? Nurses aren't always the best at explaining.

Just to be clear though, bleeding and cramping after an IUD insertion is normal even in the regular procedure.

 

[topolski18]

Thank you to everyone who responded. I am planning on calling her doctor and also my doctor to talk about why it may have happened. She was loopy coming out of sedation so perhaps they told her a legitimate reason and she does not remember. She was sedated because she could not tolerate an awake procedure previously. However, I was surprised to learn it was general anesthesia and not twilight sedation. Thanks all for your input.

 

[beckylovesyou]

@topolski18 Her doctor can’t talk to you about her procedure. Patent-doctor confidentiality.

 

[djkms]

@topolski18 Was she just having it placed just for contraception or also to control heavy/irregular bleeding? In the latter case it is fairly common to do a D&C to clear out excess endometrial tissue prior to placing the IUD, both to minimize the patient’s bleeding as well as to decrease the chance of expulsion (which can occur when women are bleeding a ton or passing large clots, and the IUD just comes out with it). Regardless, if this was being done she would have to have signed a consent form stating she agreed to it.

I would also have her check with the doctor who did her procedure and not the recovery room nurse, as sometimes the exact procedure can be misunderstood when a patient is transferred from the operating room to the recovery area.

 

[katrina2017]

@topolski18 That's messed up. D&C's are no joke.

 

[katrina2017]

@topolski18 Why was she sedated for this?

And no this is NOT normal or okay. REPORT!!

 

[beckylovesyou]

@katrina2017 Why not get sedation if it’s offered? There is no way I would ever consider getting an IUD placed without at least twilight sedation.

 

[katrina2017]

@beckylovesyou Just not offered where I’m from which is why I was confused?

And the D&C without consent is assualt. Sue the fuckers

 

[maryloua]

@topolski18 D&C?

 

[dlyc]

@maryloua It’s typically done for an abortion. It is where they scrape out some lining of the uterus.

 

[maryloua]

@dlyc Ah ok I've not heard of that before. What does it stand for?

 

[seektruth247]

@maryloua Dilation and curettage

 

[chabod]

@topolski18 I have never heard about that. That’s really shocking I’m a bad way… not just the d&c but the whole procedure.