Patient experience when self‐introducing gel into the vagina for assessment of deep endometriosis: A pilot study

Introduction: When scanning for deep endometriosis a 20 mL syringe is used to insert gel into the vagina for a gel sonovaginography (SVG) examination. This is invasive and can cause discomfort. The aim of this study is to compare participant experience with the self-administration of 20 mL of gel total using a 10 mL syringe versus 20 mL syringe for participants undergoing a gel SVG ultrasound to assess for any participant discomfort. Methodology: This study was a quantitative pilot study with 31 participants. Consenting participants were instructed to insert a total of 20 mL of gel divided equally into one 20 mL and one 10 mL syringe, into their own vagina prior to SVG. After the SVG, a questionnaire was provided to determine the level of discomfort experienced. Results: Overall participants found the instructions clear and the insertion of either syringe tolerable. The results demonstrated that 22/31 (71%) of participants had no discomfort inserting the 10 mL syringe. In comparison, 17/31 (55%) reported slight or mild discomfort inserting the 20 mL syringe. The majority of participants preferred inserting one 20 mL syringe rather than two 10 mL syringes. Conclusion: Participants found the gel insertion using either syringe tolerable with most participants finding the 10 mL syringe more comfortable but would overall prefer inserting one 20 mL syringe instead of two 10 mL syringes. Future studies on larger numbers of multicultural participants using variable syringe sizes with varying amounts of gel should be considered.