Abstract
Author(s): Ali A. Bendary* and Ibrahim I Souidan
Background: Many doctors prefer doing hysteroscopically guided procedures on conscious patients so an effective topical anesthetic, as Lidocaine-prilocaine cream, can be used.
Aim: The purpose of this study was to study the effectiveness of EMLA cream and placebo in reducing pain during hysteroscopy.
Methods: By applying a thick coating of 5 grammes of lidocaine-prilocaine cream to the cervix, in one group and placebo (gel) in another group before hysteroscopy. The researcher measured pain before inserting the hysteroscope, throughout the surgery, during withdrawal, and after the procedure. Women were asked to rate the anesthesia they had received overall and if they would choose to use it again if the surgery were to be redone.
Results: The VAS (Visual Analog Scale) scores of patients in the control group were statistically significantly higher than those in the EMLA group.
Conclusion: This study has shown that using EMLA cream as a local anesthetic for office hysteroscopy is a successful and simple procedure.