A D&C procedure is performed under general or local anesthesia in the doctor’s office. With general anesthesia, you will be asleep for the procedure while local anesthesia will allow you to stay awake. Either way, you won’t feel anything during the D&C.
The procedure is similar to a pap smear in that your feet will be in stirrups and the gynecologist will insert a speculum into the vaginal canal. After that, we use a special device or medication to dilate the cervix, allowing access to the uterine wall.
Once we’ve reached the necessary cervical dilation, a spoon-shaped tool (curette) can be inserted into the uterus.
What is a D&C used for?
As previously mentioned, dilation & curettage is a multi-purpose procedure. We use the curette to remove tissue from the uterine wall for diagnosis or treatment of gynecological problems.
Incomplete miscarriage
A common use of the D&C procedure is for miscarriage. During an incomplete or missed miscarriage, some or all of the pregnancy tissue remains in the uterus. If this tissue isn’t removed, it can cause heavy bleeding or infection.
Fortunately, with an incomplete miscarriage, the cervix is already dilated so we’re more easily able to access the uterus and remove the tissue.
Removing growths
Fibroids, polyps, adhesions (scar tissue), and tumors that form on the uterine wall can be removed with a D&C procedure.
Molar pregnancy
A molar pregnancy occurs when an egg is improperly fertilized, attaches to the lining of the uterus, and begins to grow tumors instead of a placenta. The body will often expel this non-cancerous growth on its own, but a surgical D&C may be necessary to prevent damage or complications.
Diagnostic D&C
A dilation and curettage procedure can be used to diagnose or find the root cause of problems such as a painful menstrual cycle, abnormal uterine bleeding, infertility, bleeding after menopause, and even uterine cancer. Using the curette, we carefully scrape a sample from the endometrium (uterine lining) to send off for evaluation.
A D&C can also be combined with a hysteroscopy — a procedure in which we insert a thin, lighted camera through the cervix to view the inside of the uterus. This allows us to visualize problems such as endometriosis, thickening of the endometrial lining, or growths.
What are the signs you need a D&C?
Some signs that could indicate you need a D&C include:
Heavy bleeding
Bleeding between menstrual periods
Passing blood clots or tissue
Severe cramping
Heavy cramping or bleeding early in pregnancy
Vaginal bleeding after childbirth or miscarriage
If you’re experiencing these symptoms, contact our team of healthcare professionals.
Call (844) 473-6100 or click here to schedule online
What to expect after a D&C
Dilation and curettage is an outpatient procedure, meaning you’ll get to go home once the anesthesia has worn off. A healthcare provider will monitor you in our recovery room until you’re ready to be sent home.
You will probably have side effects such as cramping and spotting or light bleeding for a few days. For the first two to three days of recovery, nothing should be inserted into your vagina (no tampons, no sexual intercourse) and you should avoid bathing.
Over-the-counter pain medication can be used to manage any cramping or discomfort. We recommend using sanitary pads for the first few days of recovery to monitor your bleeding. You can return to normal activities as soon as you feel up to it.
During the recovery period, patients may also experience a range of emotions, from relief to grief, depending on the circumstances leading to the D&C. It is essential to allow time for emotional healing and seek support if needed.
Depending on the reason for your D&C, you may need to come in for a follow-up appointment to discuss results or after-effects.
Are there any D&C risks?
Like any surgical procedure, a D&C carries risks, including infection, heavy bleeding, or perforation of the uterus. Scar tissue formation, known as Asherman syndrome, is a rare complication that can lead to infertility.
Signs of infection post-D&C include fever, severe abdominal pain, and foul-smelling vaginal discharge. If you experience heavy bleeding (soaking through a pad in an hour) after a D&C, seek medical attention promptly.
Have health concerns? Make Dr. Rad your OB/GYN
Perinatologist Dr. Rad and his world-class Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) obstetrics and gynecology team at Los Angeles Fetal and Maternal Care understand your high-risk obstetric and infertility needs. We provide compassionate care and help you understand your pregnancy, answer questions, and provide emotional support to navigate your pregnancy safely.
Dr. Rad has undergone rigorous training at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of Southern California, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCSF Medical Center, and centers internationally, including London, Austria, Israel, and Africa.
We are conveniently located for patients throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area at locations in or near Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Culver City, Hollywood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, Irvine, and Downtown Los Angeles. We also offer in-home prenatal care and a fly-in program for out-of-town and international patients. Dr. Rad even travels to patients who need him throughout the U.S. and around the world.
If you can’t make it to Dr. Rad, he also offers virtual consultations worldwide.
Call (844) 473-6100 or click here to schedule online
Web Site Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions of Use
The Los Angeles Fetal & Maternal Care Center (hereafter referred to as the “Clinic”) supports initiatives that improve the quality of medical and health information available on the World Wide Web.
Your privacy is critical to us. Likewise, we have built up this Policy with the goal that you should see how we gather, utilize, impart, and reveal and utilize individual data. The following blueprints are our privacy policy.
Before or at the time of collecting personal information, we will identify the purposes for which information is being collected.
Your personal information, including SMS consent and phone numbers, will not be sold, disclosed, or shared with any third party under any circumstances.
We will gather and utilize individual data singularly to satisfy those reasons indicated by us and for other good purposes unless we get the assent of the individual concerned or as required by law.
We will just hold individual data for the essential length of time to satisfy those reasons.
We will gather individual data by legal and reasonable means and, where fitting, with the information or assent of the individual concerned.
Personal information ought to be important to the purposes for which it is to be utilized and, to the degree essential for those purposes, ought to be exact, complete, and updated.
We will protect individual data by security shields against misfortune or burglary and also against unapproved access, divulgence, duplicating, use, or alteration.
We will promptly provide patients access to our policies and procedures for administering individual data.
We are focused on leading our business according to these standards, with a specific end goal of guaranteeing that the privacy of individual data is secure and maintained.
As a result, we pledge the following:
1. Authoritative
Any medical or health advice provided and hosted on this site will only be given by medically trained and qualified professionals unless a clear statement is made that a piece of advice offered is from a non-medically qualified individual or organization.
2. Complementary
The information provided on this site is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her existing physician.
3. Privacy
Confidentiality of data relating to individual patients and visitors to a medical/health Web site, including their identity, is respected by this Web site. The Web site owners undertake to honor or exceed the legal requirements of medical/health information privacy that apply in the country and state where the Web site and mirror sites are located.
We use Google Analytics to analyze the website’s audience and improve our content. No personal information is ever collected from Google Analytics. For further information on the privacy policy concerning Google Analytics, please visit https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en.
4. Contact Information Use
We collect phone numbers from our patients and obtain consent to send SMS notifications or updates related to our services. We do not share these phone numbers with any third parties or affiliates for marketing purposes. The phone numbers provided are strictly used to contact the website visitor so we may fulfill their request (such as scheduling a consultation, etc.), obtain consent for SMS communication, and deliver relevant updates or notifications.
We are committed to safeguarding our patients’ privacy and ensuring that their personal information, including phone numbers, is protected from unauthorized access or misuse.
By providing your phone number with SMS consent, you agree to receive SMS notifications or updates from us related to our services”
5. Attribution
Where appropriate, this site’s information will be supported by clear references to source data and, where possible, specific HTML links to that data. The date when a clinical page was last modified will be displayed.
The source of the medically related content is written by the doctors and medical staff of the Clinic. Authorship is attributed to the content page, and all information is medically reviewed by the clinic’s education team.
6. Justifiability
Any claims relating to the benefits/performance of a specific treatment, commercial product or service will be supported by appropriate, balanced evidence in the manner outlined above.
Please note that there are no guarantees that every medical treatment or surgery will satisfactorily cure or repair every condition for every person every single time.
Regarding any before and after pictures displayed on our website, the following are true:
The person in the before picture and the after picture are the same.
The pictures were not digitally modified or enhanced.
Each surgery produces unique results for each patient, and no one can guarantee the same result for every person visiting our website.
The Clinic has the explicit consent of its patients to take their pictures and publish them on your website.
7. Transparency
The designers of this Website will always seek to provide information in the clearest possible manner and provide contact addresses for visitors that seek further information or support. The Webmaster’s e-mail address is private@drsteverad.com.
8. Financial Disclosure No third-party commercial or non-commercial organizations have ever provided this website’s economic support or services. If that ever changes, it will be identified, including the identities of commercial and non-commercial organizations contributing funding, services, or material for the site.
9. Advertising policy
The Clinic does not accept any advertising from any company or individual and never has.
If that ever changes, the source of funding will be clearly stated, and a brief description of our advertising policy adopted by the site owners will be displayed on the site. If advertising and/or other promotional material is ever presented to website visitors, it will be in a manner and context that facilitates differentiation between it and the original material created by the institution operating the site.
Additional Web Site Terms and Conditions of Use
1. Terms
By accessing this website, you agree to be bound by its Terms and Conditions of Use, applicable laws and regulations, and compliance. If you disagree with the stated terms and conditions, you are prohibited from using or accessing this site. The materials contained in this site are secured by relevant copyright and trademark law.
2. Use License
Permission is allowed to temporarily download one duplicate of the materials (data or programming) on the Clinic’s site for individual and non-business use only. This is just a permit of license and not an exchange of title, and under this permit, you may not:
modify or copy the materials;
use the materials for any commercial use or any public presentation (business or non-business);
attempt to decompile or rebuild any product or material contained on the Clinic’s site;
remove any copyright or other restrictive documentations from the materials or
transfer the materials to someone else or even “mirror” the materials on another server.
This permit might consequently be terminated if you disregard any of these confinements and may be ended by the Clinic whenever deemed necessary. After permit termination or when your viewing permit is terminated, you must destroy any downloaded materials in your ownership, whether in electronic or printed form.
3. Disclaimer The materials on the Clinic’s site are given “as is.” The Clinic makes no guarantees, communicated or suggested, and thus renounces and nullifies every other warranty, including without impediment, inferred guarantees, or states of merchantability, fitness for a specific reason, or non-encroachment of licensed property or other infringement of rights. Further, the Clinic does not warrant or make any representations concerning the precision, likely results, or unwavering quality of the utilization of the materials on its Internet site or generally identifying with such materials or on any destinations connected to this website.
4. Constraints On no occasion should the Clinic or its suppliers be subject to any harm (counting, without constraint, harms for loss of information or benefit, or because of business interference) emerging out of the utilization or powerlessness to utilize the materials on the Clinic’s Internet webpage, regardless of the possibility that the Clinic or an approved agent has been told orally or in written of the likelihood of such harm? Since a few purviews don’t permit constraints on inferred guarantees or impediments of obligation for weighty or coincidental harms, these confinements may not make a difference to you.
5. Amendments and Errata The materials on the clinic’s site could incorporate typographical or photographic mistakes. The Clinic does not warrant that any materials on its site are exact, finished, or current. The Clinic may roll out improvements to the materials on its site whenever without notification. The Clinic does not, then again, make any dedication to update the materials.
6. Links The Clinic has not checked on the majority of the websites or links connected to its website and is not in charge of the substance of any such connected webpage. Incorporating any connection does not infer support by the Clinic of the site. Utilization of any such connected site is at the user’s own risk.
7. Site Terms of Use Modifications The Clinic may update these terms of utilization for its website without notification. By utilizing this site, you consent to be bound by the then-current form of these Terms and Conditions of Use.
8. Governing Law Any case identifying with the Clinic’s site should be administered by the laws of the country of the United States of America and the General Terms and Conditions applicable to the Use of a Web Site.
About Good Faith Estimates
Dear Patient,
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, examinations, office visits prescription drugs, and equipment (items or services reasonably expected to be furnished by this practice).
Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least one (1) business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises. To speak to our billing department, please call (844) 473-6100.
Thank you.
Dr. Rad and your friends at the Los Angeles Fetal & Maternal Care Center
Open Payments Database Notice
For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth over ten dollars ($10) from manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, and biologics to physicians and teaching hospitals be made available to the public.
The Open Payments database is a federal tool used to search payments made by drug and device companies to physicians and teaching hospitals. It can be found at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.
Review Policy
The Los Angeles Fetal & Maternal Care Center is dedicated to transparently publishing customer feedback and reviews. This policy applies to reviews submitted by patients through first- and third-party review sites monitored on this platform. We reserve the right to remove posts, comments, or reviews that violate our content policies and/or are suspected to be fraudulent.
Request a Consultation
If you need immediate help or require an urgent appointment, please call us at (323) 678-5544.
