Endometrial Biopsies
Why do we do endometrial biopsies?
Your doctor may refer you to us because you are having irregular vaginal bleeding before menopause.
A biopsy allows us to check for abnormalities in the endometrial lining of the uterus such as hyperplasia or cancer.
We may suggest this if you have irregular heavy periods and are considering medication such as Mirena to manage it.
What happens during the procedure?
The doctor will do a pelvic examination and an sometimes will perform ultrasound to measure the thickness of your uterine lining. Some freezing (local anesthetic) will be used to reduce the discomfort.
The actual biopsy takes less than one minute and most patients feel an unpleasant cramping feeling like menstrual cramps. A small plastic tube (3 mm) goes inside the uterus and a sample is taken using suction from a syringe.
What about the results?
The sample is sent to a lab and we get results about 10 days later. You can make an appointment two weeks after the procedure with your family doctor to get the results.
Most of the time irregular bleeding does not come from cancer but rather from hormone changes. Your doctor can help you manage this.