Is body mass index a pain predictor during office hysteroscopy?

Suset Rodriguez, MD, of University of Miami, discussed the findings from a single-center study in a poster presentation at AAGL’s 51st Global Congress on MIGS in Aurora, Colorado.

In-office hysteroscopy allows for quicker recovery, less complications, and has greater cost-effectiveness, Rodriguez began.

According to Rodriguez, the most common factor resulting in failure to complete the procedure during office hysteroscopy is pain. Rodriguez and her colleagues set out to investigate whether a relationship exists between body mass index (BMI) and pain level during office hysteroscopy.

The investigators conducted a retrospective chart review of 115 diagnostic hysteroscopies performed without anesthesia using a vaginoscopy technique. They included patients older than age 18 that presented at the University-based clinic for office hysteroscopy from 2018 to 2022. While all procedures were performed by different providers, they all used a 5 mm rigid diagnostic hysteroscope with 30 degrees optic lens.

They used the visual analog scale (VAL), a validated, subjective measure for acute and chronic pain. Patient responses ranged from 0 to 10 and were collected immediately after the procedure to quantify pain.

The sample size for non-obese patients was 105. For obese patients, the sample size was 80. The average BMI in the obese group was 36.77 and the non-obese group was 25.01. On average, pain levels for each group were as follows: Obese was 3.79 and non-obese was 3.19.

According to the findings, there was no association between BMI and pain during office hysteroscopy procedures. Rodriguez and her team concluded that BMI may not be used as a predictor of pain. Further studies, Rodriguez noted, may consider using a larger sample. “Our final goal is to determine the ideal office versus OR hysteroscopy candidate, sparing our patients unnecessary pain,” Rodriguez concluded.

Reference

Rodriguez S. Can Body Mass Index be a Predictor of Pain during Office Hysteroscopy? Presented at: AAGL’s 51st Global Congress on MIGS ; December 2, 2022; Aurora, Colorado.