title: A comparison of pain experienced during hysterosalpingography and in-office falloposcopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine patient perception of the intensity of pain during in-office falloposcopy compared with hysterosalpingography (HSG).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective quality assurance study using a formal pain scale to compare two procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients attending a tertiary level infertility clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  In-office falloposcopy or HSG using analgesics.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mean pain score and area under the pain curve experienced during each investigation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using our technique, in-office falloposcopy was associated with a significantly lower mean intensity of pain and with a longer procedure. The duration of the falloposcopic examination declined significantly with physician experience. Flushing adjacent to the uterotubal ostium, ostial cannulation, and rapid eversion provoked episodes of acute pain during falloposcopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support the patient acceptability of in-office falloposcopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dunphy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Taenzer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bultz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ingleson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dodd
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007047:Hysterosalpingography / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009819:Office Visits; D010146:Pain; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors