Ok, so on Friday I have to have an endometrial biopsy. I was scared so, my doctor is using a new device called a "Tao Brush", which is part of the trutest kit. I hear that it is supposed to be "generally" painless. It is FDA approved and all of taht. Has anyone heard of this or had any experiences?
I just ran to an online search engine to read what is said about the brush. It sounds like, from what I read, that it is reliable and more comfortable for the patient. I hope someone can jump in and share their experience.
Well, I'll let you all know on Friday. I get it done at 8:20am May22nd. I have read lots of great stuff on it. Just wish I could hear some personal experiences. I may be the guinea pig here, though.
Hi -- please do let us know how it goes! I had an endometrial biopsy last year, and I thought it was a little uncomfortable. I was not happy while she was doing it, but by the time I was like okay, enough already, she was done. The whole thing lasted to about a count of ten. I did have cramping afterwards and was uncomfortable, but it was really quite tolerable. I'm sure you'll be just fine!!!
Zoe, thank you SOOOO MUCH for sharing. I am a mess right now. Just a mess. I will let you know about this Tao Brush thing. I think all doctors should use it if it really is less painful and just as effective. Did they use local anesthetic on you??
I did not have any anesthetic during my procedure. She did tell me to take a couple advil/tylenol about an hour before my appointment. What happened in my case was she basically used what looked like a large Q-tip -- large as in a long handle, and a large head to it (well, large compared to a regular Q-tip; this was maybe about 10-12mm round at the cottony part). She had me lay back, then passed it through the cervix and into the uterus, where she kind of swished it around while she counted to ten. She told me she might have had to dilate me to do the procedure, but she didn't need to; she was able to pass this thing up there on her own (and I didn't feel any pain/pressure to speak of). The swishing around part was uncomfortable. Not super painful, but definitely not my favorite thing in the world. It was over relatively quickly though -- and for any of you ladies worried about ECC's, if you are reading this, the ECC is over much, much quicker than the endometrial biopsy, at least in my case!
Anyway, that's all there really was to it. I left the office about 10 minutes later, and in the car on the way home I had some cramping, and was not a happy camper, but I can't say that I was in horrible pain. It also subsided shortly, and all was soon forgotten Okay, guess I didn't forget it, but seriously, it's nothing to have anxiety about!
Yikes! I'm fairly certain that's not what she used on me, and I could have sworn that I saw that big Q-tip thing coming at me, but I can't say for certain that the Q-tip thing is what she used. I do know for certain it was an endometrial biopsy, because I've seen the pathology report a billion times. I also recently was examined to make sure I didn't have cervical stenosis after my surgery, and the way they verified that was by passing one of those big Q-tips (although this one was slightly smaller) through my remaining cervix and into the uterus. I had the same discomfort, and he verified that he did make it into the uterus (so good news, no stenosis!), and he definitely didn't use a sharp instrument -- but then again he wasn't taking any samples this time. Hmmm....if this Tao brush is supposed to be more comfortable, then I would say at worst you are in for what I experienced the first time, since I either had the another instrument (i.e. not the one that's more comfortable, so your experience should be better than mine), or I had the same Tao brush that you will have (and I just didn't know it), and then hopefully you won't be any more uncomfortable than I was.
Sorry this is a bit rambling....I'm really tired!
Note: don't look at what they're going to use. It will probably just scare you. Just remember, these tests are necessary, though potentially unpleasant -- but much better than letting any problems develop or get out of hand. So, since they are necessary and unavoidable, don't look at what they're going to use. Just let the docs do what they need to do!!!
((hugs)) and good wishes for a good experience, and even better results!!!
Oh wait, ok, tomorrow I am having two biopsies, an endocervical curettage and an endometrial biopsy. The Endometrial biopsy is the one where they are using the tao brush, the new technique. The Endocerviacl curretage is the one with the spoon shaped metal thing. So, the q-tip thing you had was the endometrial biopsy or the endocervical curettage?
Sorry, LOL!
Okay, that makes more sense. I've had both. The Q-tip thing was the endometrial biopsy; I was uncomfortable with that. I also had an ECC (endocervical currettage, at a separate time), and I didn't look to see what he used for that, but the spoon-shaped thingy sounds right. That pinched for a few seconds, and like I've posted before, by the time I noticed it was uncomfortable it was over, and that was the end of that. I felt crampy for a little while after the endometrial biopsy, but really nothing after the ECC. Neither one was particularly traumatic for me!!!
Zoe, who did your brush endo biopsy for you? I'd like one done rather than pipelle method if my doc here in VA refuses to use intrauterine lidocaine (easy but takes an additional 2 whole minutes...).
I can easily drive to New Haven as I'm always back and forth to that area.
Can someone please explain the difference between the two methods and the pros/cons of each? Is an endometrial bx the same thing as a hysteroscopy w/ polypectomy in terms of the instruments used, technique, and recovery time? Sorry to jump in with no knowledge - trying to learn as much as I can before my surgeries. Thanks!
The doc that did my endometrial biopsy was a regular gyn in the Trumbull/Bridgeport area, and I wouldn't recommend her to anyone in a million years, even though that particular biopsy was not a bad experience for me. If you've read some of my other posts you'll see that at least in my opinion, she really dropped the ball on me, did not do appropriate testing, and basically just gave me crummy care and some really horrendous advice.
I know for certain I had no anesthetic for this procedure.
Brie -- I *believe* an endometrial biopsy is different from the hysteroscopy, and that the endo bx just takes a sample of the endometrial lining, but doesn't necessarily scrape anything, whereas the hysteroscopy (and definitely the polypectomy) does do some scraping/actual removal of tissue. Anything with an "ectomy" is definitely removing something! Sorry I don't know more about this.
Zoe, who did your brush endo biopsy for you? I'd like one done rather than pipelle method if my doc here in VA refuses to use intrauterine lidocaine (easy but takes an additional 2 whole minutes...).
I can easily drive to New Haven as I'm always back and forth to that area.
Thanks.
L.
Hi,
Just wanted to tell you that I got an endometrial biopsy done with the TruTest Tao Brush. I never had one with the Pipelle, so I cannot compare it with that, but I can say that this method is not painless. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had no anesthesia at all, honestly, it wasn't that bad, but it was NOT painless. When asking your doctor about this method, refer to it as the TruTest kit. Most doctors will order it for you, my insurance covered half of it. I was scared to get an endo bx because of all the horrible things I read, so I made my doctor use this TruTest thing. I don't know if it is better than the Pipelle, because I have never had the Pipelle, but have heard it is less painful. The worst part of the whole thing is when they guide the tube into the cervix. The scraping and brushing caused cramping. I was fine afterward, and if I ahd to do it again, I wouldn't be as nervous.
Than you KOSM. I didn't know the docs can order that test as a one-off for you. I wonder if your doc already had training with it and could do it? I'm willing to travel to avoid a pipelle biopsy or any sort of directed biopsy without any sort of analgesia. I don't expect painless but I DO expect a doctor not to expect women to go through what's often described as 10+ pain just because it only lasts for 10 seconds. That's bullcrap, especially when it's been proven that a simple infusion (not even a needle, an infusion) of 5cc 2% lidocaine into the uterus and a wait of a whole 2 minutes (which is where docs balk) and the pain becomes much milder. I'm having a saline sonogram and he says he will take biopsies then if necessary so I WILL ALREADY BE CATHERIZED THROUGH MY CERVIX. If he balks at using lidocaine when the studies are so clear that it helps pain and also doesn't affect the results of the biopsy, then what am I to think?
If he tells me today on the phone that he is refusing both the Tao and the lidocaine, I will tell him to forget the saline sonogram and to do a standard TVUS sonogram, then schedule me for a hysteroscopy under general and do his biopsies then. They are looking for polyps mainly as an explanation for the fact that my period is now 10 days (normal) rather then 7-8 days. I have no spotting off cycle and a normal flow. Personally I think it's simply perimenopause and due to having my tubes tied three years ago, but he wants to investigate.
Personally I'm sick of the witch hunts. Too stressful. I can control my pain level during them however and I damn well intend to.
Well, I don't think he had a lot of experience with it. He made it sound that way at least. I had absolutely no anesthesia, not even spray! I took Motrin, but that was sooo pointless. Taking Motrin before this type of biopsy is like trying to put out a forest fire with a garden hose. It did nothing. I think the difference is that with the Pipelle, it uses a suction method as a means to get the tissue. The Tao Brush is just what it is called, a brush. When he finally got the catheter to go into the cervix, I jumped. It was very very brief though. The biopsy itself was just very crampy and it wasn't unbearable. On a scale of 1-10, I would give this a 7 on the pain scale. I would do it again, without anesethesia, because it seems like the injection of lidocain would also hurt. Any doctor can order the TruTest kit. If you send me a private message I will give you the contact info. I called the manufacturer myself, who then gave me the number of some local med reps in my area....I cannot give it in the posts because I heard that posting website is against the rules in this forum, but please contact me and I'll give you the info.
I was so scared of my endo bx because of what I had heard others say. I had heard it was worse than childbirth, that it made people pass out...let me tell you that that WAS NOT my experience. Painful, yes, but nothing like I have heard it described, and I am such a wimp!! So, if I can get through it, ANYONE can! LOL! Like I said, the only bad part is the doc getting the catheter in, my cervix wouldn't open. After that though, it was simple. I was fine the rest of the day. I did get a UTI infection, but I have no idea if that was related to the biopsy or not. Send me a message and I'll give you the company name and website. They are a great help.
Kosm
Okay, guess I didn't forget it, but seriously, it's nothing to have anxiety about!
