Dilatation and curettage (D&C) can be used to diagnose and treat a number of different conditions.
Diagnosis
When dilatation and curettage is used to help diagnose condition, a tissue sample (biopsy) may be taken for testing in a laboratory. This diagnostic approach may used if you have:
- abnormal bleeding
- irregular periods
- spotting (a slight loss of blood through the vagina that does not relate to menstruation)
- bleeding after sex (post-coital bleeding)
- bleeding after menopause (the end of menstruation, occurring in women who are around 50)
- fertility problems
- adenomyosis (where the inner lining of the womb grows inside the middle layer, causing pain, cramps and bleeding)
The sample that is taken from the womb will be sent to a laboratory to check for:
Treatment
Conditions that dilatation and curettage is sometimes used to treat include:
- excessive bleeding following birth by clearing out any placenta that is left in the womb (the placenta is the organ that attaches the mother to her unborn baby and provides the baby food and oxygen)
- removing a molar pregnancy (where the fertilisation of the egg goes wrong and leads to an abnormal growth of cells inside the womb)
- removing unwanted tissue, polyps or benign tumours from the womb
- removing an intrauterine device (IUD) (a small, T-shaped contraceptive device made from plastic and copper) that has become embedded in the wall of the womb
- removing any tissue that remains after a miscarriage or abortion, in order to prevent infection
