Dilation and curettage, or D & C for short, is a procedure that is used to diagnose and treat a number of womens health conditions. D&C's are also used to detect cancer of the uterus.  We'll take a look at why your doctor may recommend a D&C, what to expect during the procedure and evaluate the risks associated with the operation.  But just what is a D&C and how did it get its name?

The goal of a D&C is to scrape the inside of the uterus and cervical canal to provide a sample tissue for microscopic examination.  The procedure is named "dilation and curettage" because gynecologists first "dilate", or "stretch" the uterus to make it wider.  Curettage involves using curettes instruments to remove a sample of the endometrium to be examined later.  D&Cs are one of the most common of all gynecological operations and are performed in either hospitals or outpatient clinical settings

The most frequent reason your doctor will order a D&C is to assess the cause of abnormal or heavy vaginal bleeding. D&Cs are also used to remove tissues from the uterus after a failed pregnancy or miscarriage.  Finally, D&Cs are useful as a diagnostic tool.  Some other reasons for dilation and curettage include:

• Adenomyosis repair
• Benign tumor(s) removal
• Elective medical abortion tissue removal
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease infection treatment

To learn more about what happens and what to expect during a D&C, read more now.