The Resectoscope
The resectoscope is a hysteroscope with a built in wire loop (or other shape device)
that uses high-frequency electrical current to cut or coagulate tissue. It was
developed for surgery of the bladder and the male prostate over fifty years ago to allow
surgery inside an organ without having to make an incision.
Like the standard hysteroscope, the resectoscope is inserted through the cervix.
It is larger in diameter than the diagnostic hysteroscope and requires dilation of the
cervix. Procedures using the resectoscope are almost always done in an operating
room, such as in an outpatient surgery center. Minor procedures can be done under
local anesthesia, but most women prefer general anesthesia.
The resectoscope is far more efficient at removing tissue (such as fibroids or large
polyps) than conventional instruments. Because it is so efficient, it should
be used only by physicians who have training in its use and who use it on a
regular basis.
Left: Myomas inside the uterus as
seen through the resectoscope. The cutting loop is bottom left.
Right: Same uterus after myomas have
been removed with the resectoscope loop.
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