title: In-office transvaginal hydrolaparoscopy: a step-by-step, intraoperative pain evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Transvaginal hydrolaparoscopy (THL) is a mini-invasive technique, which allows exploration of the posterior pelvis. THL can be carried out as an office procedure and may replace hysterosalpingography and laparoscopy for the diagnosis of infertility. The aim of this study was to assess pain level during each step of THL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty infertile women underwent office THL with local anesthesia and had to score pain on a Likert scale (0-no pain, 5-maximum pain) during five stages of THL: stage 1, introduction of the intrauterine catheter; stage 2, introduction of the Veress needle in the Douglas pouch; stage 3, introduction of the trocar in the pelvis; stage 4, exploration of pelvic organs; stage 5, chromosalpingoscopy. At the end of the study, patients scored their overall satisfaction on a VAS scale (0-not satisfied at all; 10-completely satisfied).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stage 5 was associated with the highest pain score in comparison with stages 1-4 (p < 0.001), while pain score during stage 4 was significantly higher in comparison with stages 1-3 (p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Office THL seems to be well tolerated by patients. Chromosalpingoscopy was the least tolerated stage but it does not adversely impact on the procedure, which can be adequately accomplished by performing proper counseling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, Naples, Italy. pgiampaolino@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giampaolino
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pellicano
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni Antonio
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Tommaselli
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bifulco
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simioli
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nappi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004312:Douglas' Pouch; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007047:Hysterosalpingography; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010388:Pelvis / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Office procedure; Pain; Tolerability; Transvaginal hydrolaparoscopy