Current practice for the treatment of benign intrauterine polyps: a national questionnaire survey of consultant gynaecologists in UK

OBJECTIVE: To determine current practice regarding removal of endometrial polyps. STUDY DESIGN: A self-administered questionnaire to all 1509 UK consultant gynaecologists to enquire about their current practice and potential willingness to participate in a randomised trial. RESULTS: Treatment methods varied considerably. Inpatient polypectomy was used by 91% and the favoured method was blind removal of polyp following hysteroscopic localisation (53%). Direct hysteroscopic polypectomy was more commonly performed by 46% members of endoscopic societies compared to 33% of non-members. Outpatient polypectomy was performed by 19% of users of outpatient diagnostic hysteroscopy compared to 2.5% of non-users. One-third of respondents were willing to enter patients into a randomised controlled trial to determine the optimal intrauterine polyp removal technique. CONCLUSION: Opinion regarding the relative roles of inpatient or outpatient, and blind or hysteroscopic methods, is divided and a randomised trial comparing the efficacy and safety of these methods is practicable.