Dilation and curettage

Dilation and curettage (D&C) is a type of surgery used to diagnose and treat problems with woman's uterus.

During a D&C, a doctor will do these things:
 Give the woman anesthesia
 Slowly dilate (widen) the cervix
 Put a curette (a spoon-shaped tool with a sharp edge) into the uterus through the cervix
 Use the curette to take out parts of the lining of the uterus.

A D&C can be used for many reasons.  For example:
 To take tumors out of the uterus
 To diagnose problems like cancer of the uterus
 To take out tissues from a fetus or placenta, after a miscarriage or a medical abortion, which will stop bleeding

References

Category:Surgery
Category:Female reproductive system