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Private HyCoSy Fertility Testing

A specialist fertility test performed by a consultant Gynaecologist in a relaxed setting

Pricing

HyCoSy Fertility Test £400

HyCoSy tubal patency fertility test

HyCoSy Fertility Test

MUMS Consultant Gynaecologist, Miss Poonam Pradhan, offers HyCoSy to check tubal patency as part of our Fertility Service offering. This diagnostic test is designed to check that the fallopian tubes are not blocked.

What is a HyCoSy test?

This short procedure is used for investigating the cavity (inside) of the uterus and the fallopian tubes to ensure an egg can travel down them with ease. If either the cavity is abnormal or the tubes are damaged, it may be difficult to become pregnant.

A HyCoSy test will show if the fallopian tubes are open or blocked, and also if the cavity of the womb is normal or irregular due to of polyps or fibroids.

Before the procedure

You will need to be checked for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and other sexually transmitted diseases. 

The cost for STI clearance prior to the procedure is £210.00 

HyCoSy procedure

A HyCoSy fertility scan will be scheduled following STI clearance and a pregnancy test will be performed on the day of the procedure.

The best time to perform a HyCoSy is approximately day 5 to day 11 of a regular 28-day (monthly) menstrual cycle.

HyCoSy involves a baseline ultrasound scan using a vaginal probe, to assess the uterus and ovaries, and a speculum to see the cervix (neck of the womb). This is similar to a smear test. A thin plastic catheter is then inserted into the neck of the womb and then the speculum is removed.

Through this catheter, a small amount of special foam is inserted in the uterus. Whilst the foam is inserted into the uterus - another ultrasound scan is performed through the vagina, which allows Miss Pradhan to see the foam filing up the cavity of the womb and flowing through the fallopian tubes.

The procedure takes around 20 mins. It does not require an anaesthetic or sedation. After the procedure you will rest for 15 minutes.

This test cannot be performed when a woman is on her period or if she could be pregnant. HyCoSy can cause miscarriage. 

HyCoSy risk and side effects

HyCoSy is a safe procedure with only a 1% chance of getting an infection. To reduce this risk we normally give a course of prophylactic antibiotics after the procedure to avoid this.

HyCoSy is usually a well-tolerated procedure. In a small minority of cases, some women can feel faint or nauseous. This is caused by the rich nerve-supply of the cervix.

The cost is of the HyCoSy Fertility Test is £400.00

Frequently Asked Questions

  • HyCoSy is an ultrasound scan to test whether your fallopian tubes are open or not. It involves an internal (transvaginal) scan performed whilst foam is injected into the womb to see whether it passes through the fallopian tubes. The foam is injected through a very thin tube called a catheter - which is passed into the womb through the cervix (neck of the womb).
  • Your doctor needs to check whether your fallopian tubes are open or not. In order to get pregnant naturally it is essential that the fallopian tubes are open and healthy. The egg and the sperm meet in the fallopian tubes where fertilisation happens.
  • This method of testing the tubes is very safe. It does not require any surgery, anaesthetic or exposure to radiation unlike a theatre procedure.
  • You will be seen by MUMS Consultant Gynaecologist who will counsel you regarding the procedure and ask you for your consent. You will be asked to empty your bladder. You will be asked if you could be pregnant, tested and asked about vaginal infections. You will have had a recent STI screen at MUMS which will be checked and you will be tested for pregnancy. You are also advised to have taken a painkiller (two tablets of Ibuprofen 200mg if suitable) one hour prior to the procedure. You will be made comfortable on an examination couch. A speculum (same instrument as used for a smear test) is passed into the vagina to visualise the neck of the womb. After cleaning the neck of the womb a very thin tube called a catheter is passed into the womb. Following this an internal scan is performed while a foam is injected into the womb. This foam can be seen on ultrasound by the Gynaecologist whilst it passes through the tubes to confirm whether the fallopian tubes are open or not.
  • Some women experience cramping pains during and after the procedure but these last only a few minutes. Rarely some women can feel dizzy or faint. We will look after you and make sure that you are well enough before you leave the clinic. There is a very small risk of infection – you are consulted about vaginal infections prior to the procedure.
  • The doctor doing the scan will tell you the result after the scan and may discuss further if there are any other findings on scan relevant to your treatment. If Dr Swati More has referred you to Miss Pradhan, Miss Pradhan will send Dr More a letter – outlining the results of the procedure and her findings. You may also take the outcome of the investigation to your own fertility consultant.