HOW DO I PREPARE FOR HAVING A HYSTEROSCOPY IN ATHENS?
Hysteroscopies are normally scheduled at Mitera Hospital in Athens, a 15 minutes by car from Advanced Hysteroscopy premises. You will need pre-op screening at the hospital before the surgery (filling in some forms, having some blood and urine tests and an ECG (heart monitoring)). This takes at least an hour, so it is often done at the hospital the day before. You need to show your passport when you fill in the forms.
You will be asked to fast (no food or drink or water) from midnight the night before your hysteroscopy. You will need to remove contact lenses, make up, jewelry and nail polish and bring some sanitary towels with you. It is best to leave your valuables at your hotel, but you will need your passport to confirm your identity. The surgery will normally take less than 30 minutes but there can be some waiting time (emergency surgeries may need to be carried out first) and recovery time but you are often finished by midday. You are discharged by the hospital on the same day.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I AM DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL?
You will have a follow up consultation with Dr Meridis at Advanced Hysteroscopy premises on the afternoon of the same day, where you will be shown the video of the procedure and explained in detail the findings and the surgical intervention, as well as advice and guidance on your fertility options.
CAN I HAVE A HYSTEROSCOPY AT ANY TIME OF THE MONTH?
The ideal time to go is just after your period finishes – so the lining is thin, but you don’t have any bleeding obscuring operative views. A thin lining makes the surgery easier especially if you end up needing to have something complex done such as fibroid removal, but if needed, hysteroscopy can be done at any time of the month as long as you are not bleeding heavily and there is no chance of you been pregnant.
WHY AM I BEING ADVISED TO TRY CONCEIVE NATURALLY AFTER HYSTEROSCOPY?
Where the hysteroscopy or infection testing reveals a problem that can be addressed (e.g., adhesions in the uterus that are cut away), we often advise couples to try naturally for at least 2 cycles – just in case the main barrier to infertility has just been fixed. We very often see spontaneous pregnancies after hysteroscopy combined with a course of antibiotics. It is likely that if hysteroscopy has dealt with a problem, pregnancy will result quickly, so it is worth trying for 2 or 3 cycles just in case you no longer in need of IVF. Experience shows that in these circumstances, natural conception is likely to happen quickly or not at all, so only 2 or 3 months is justified before continuing with IVF
FOR HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO STAY IN ATHENS?
You will only need to stay one night in Athens (the night before) as for most cases you will be able to fly back on the evening of the same day of the procedure. However, as a Athens is an exciting city to discover, you may want to consider staying for a few days more.
CAN I HAVE A PHONE CONSULTATION WITH DR MERIDIS?
It is easy to have an initial telephone consultation with Dr Meridis after sending your medical history questionnaire by email. Phone consultations are usually scheduled after 6 pm Greek time, and you discuss not only about your hysteroscopy but get Dr Meridis expert opinion on your fertility options and outlook.
