Fallopian tube examination (HSU)

An HSU (Hystero-Sonografic Examination) uses ultrasound to examine the passage conditions in your fallopian tubes. The examination will usually be carried out between the 5th and 10th day of your cycle. You must have tested negative for chlamydia before this examination. You can have a cervical swab for chlamydia at your family doctor or we can do it at the clinic.
At the examination, a sugar-based contrast substance (Echovist) will be injected into your fallopian tubes, and via ultrasound we’ll be able to see if the passage is OK. You’ll be able to follow the procedure on a TV screen; it should take some 5-10 minutes. The examination is not dangerous, but some patients may experience a bit of discomfort a couple of hours later, like period pain. If you’ve been referred by your family doctor, the examination itself is free of charge; however, you’ll have to pay for the contrast substance yourself. We don’t use saline water for this examination because it’s proved to produced less reliable results.
If the examination indicates that the fallopian tubes could be blocked, it’s a good idea to proceed to have a keyhole examination of the pelvis (a laparoscopy).