Uterine Sounds
These sounds or dilators are intended for probing a woman's uterus through the cervix, to measure the length and direction of the cervical canal and uterus, to determine the level of dilation, or to induce further dilation.
Uterine sounding may be performed prior to embryo transfer to determine the uterine depth and how easily an embryo transfer catheter can be passed through the cervix. In this case, it may also be called a trial transfer. It is performed prior to insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD) in order to measure the length and direction of the cervical canal and uterus. This reduces the risk of perforating the uterus with the IUD. This may occur when the IUD is inserted too deeply or at the wrong angle.
Different types of Uterine sounds include the following:
- Hegar dilators have two rounded ends, are fairly short, and are mildly curved in shape.
- Sims sounds have a flat end and a rounded end.
Read more about this topic: Sound (medical Instrument)
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