Misoprostol Administration Before Hysteroscopy Procedures – A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the use of misoprostol prior to hysteroscopy procedures regarding technical ease, the presence of side effects, and the occurrence of complications.

Methods This is a retrospective, observational, analytical, case-control study, with the review of medical records of 266 patients followed-up at the Gynecological Videoendoscopy Sector of the Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto of the Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMRP – USP, in the Portuguese acronym) from 2014 to 2019, comparing 133 patients who used the drug before the procedure with 133 patients who did not.

Results The occurrence of postmenopausal uterine bleeding was the main indication for hysteroscopy and revealed a statistical difference between groups (p < 0.001), being present in 93.23% of the patients in the study group and in 69.7% of the patients in the control group. Only 2 patients (1.5%) in the study group reported adverse effects. Although no statistical differences were observed regarding the occurrence of complications during the procedure (p = 0.0662), a higher total number of complications was noted in the group that used misoprostol (n = 7; 5.26%) compared with the group that did not use the drug (n = 1; 0.75%), a fact that is clinically relevant. When evaluating the ease of the technique (measured by the complete performance of all steps of the hysteroscopy procedure), it was verified that although there was no difference between groups (p = 0.0586), the control group had more than twice as many incompletely performed procedures (n = 17) when compared with the group that used misoprostol previously (n = 8), which is also clinically relevant.

Conclusion The use of misoprostol prior to hysteroscopy in our service indicated that the drug can facilitate the performance of the procedure, but not without side effects and presenting higher complication rates.

Resumo

Objetivo Avaliação do misoprostol prévio à histeroscopia quanto à facilidade técnica, efeitos colaterais e a ocorrência de complicações durante o procedimento.

Métodos Estudo analítico observacional retrospectivo tipo caso controle com revisão de prontuários de 266 pacientes do Setor de Videoendoscopia Ginecológica do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto - Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMRP – USP), de 2014 a 2019, sendo comparadas 133 pacientes que utilizaram o medicamento prévio ao procedimento com 133 pacientes que não o utilizaram.

Resultados Sangramento uterino após a menopausa foi a principal indicação de histeroscopia, apresentando diferença estatística (p < 0,001), estando presente em 93,23% das pacientes do grupo de estudo e em 69,17% das pacientes do grupo controle. Apenas 2 pacientes (1,5%) do grupo de estudo relataram efeitos adversos. Não foram observadas diferenças quanto à presença de complicações durante o procedimento (p =  0,0662), mas observamos um número total de complicações maior no grupo de estudo (n = 7; 5,26%) do que no grupo controle (n = 1; 0,75%), o que é clinicamente relevante. Não houve diferença entre os grupos quanto à facilidade técnica (p = 0,0586), mas o grupo controle apresentou mais do que o dobro de procedimentos não completamente realizados (n = 17) quando comparado com o grupo de estudo (n = 8), o que é clinicamente relevante.

Conclusão O uso de misoprostol prévio à histeroscopia no nosso serviço demonstrou que ele pode facilitar a realização do procedimento, mas não é isento de efeitos colaterais e apresenta maiores taxas de complicações.

Keywords

hysteroscopy - misoprostol - complications - side effects

Palavras-chave

histeroscopia - misoprostol - complicações - efeitos colaterais

Contributions

All authors contributed to the design of the study, were involved in the data collection, data analysis and/or interpretation. Also, all authors contributed to the writing/substantive editing and review of the manuscript and approved the final draft of the manuscript.

Publication History

Received: 19 March 2022

Accepted: 26 March 2022

Article published online:
29 August 2022

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