Private Post Menopause Pelvic Scan in London

Hot flushes, night sweats, poor sleep, low mood, vaginal dryness and joint aches are the most common, caused by lower oestrogen. A scan does not explain these. Bleeding, new bloating or pelvic pain are not normal postmenopause symptoms, and those are the reasons to book a post menopause scan.

Endometrial atrophy is thinning of the womb lining after menopause, as oestrogen falls. It is the most common cause of postmenopausal bleeding. On a post menopause scan it shows as a thin, even lining, which is a reassuring finding when it can be measured clearly.

Brown or pink discharge more than a year after your last period counts as postmenopausal bleeding, so get it checked, even if it happened once. It is usually harmless, often from a thin lining or vaginal dryness, but a scan is the quickest way to be sure.

The usual causes are endometrial or vaginal atrophy, endometrial polyps, bleeding on HRT, endometrial hyperplasia, fibroids, cervical polyps and infection. Endometrial cancer is less common but must be ruled out, which is why the lining is measured first.

Our post menopause pelvic scan is £219, all-inclusive, at Central London and St Albans, with no GP referral. It covers the scan, your endometrial thickness, findings on the day, a written report within 24 hours and a referral letter if needed. UK clinics advertise from about £79 to £250.

After menopause the lining is normally thin. In UK practice, around 4mm or less in a woman who is bleeding is usually reassuring, and a thicker or irregular lining is referred for a closer look. Different numbers apply on HRT or tamoxifen.

Without bleeding there is no single agreed cut-off, so a 6, 8 or 9mm lining is read alongside its appearance, your HRT and your risk factors, and may be rechecked or referred. A much thicker lining, such as 20mm, is always referred.

A small amount of fluid in the womb is common after menopause, often because the cervix has narrowed. What matters is the lining around it. A thin, smooth lining around the fluid is usually reassuring; a thickened or irregular one is referred.

After menopause the ovaries shrink and stop producing follicles, so they can be small and quite hard to find. Not seeing them is a common, normal finding, and your report says so clearly rather than leaving it unexplained.

Usually not. Small, simple, thin-walled cysts filled with clear fluid are common after menopause and most are benign, so they are often rechecked with a repeat scan. Cysts with solid areas or thick walls are described in detail and referred.

The Menopause Health Check (£529) adds an FSH, LH, oestradiol, free T4 and TSH blood test, a GP consultation and a pharmacist medication review to the same pelvic scan. Your GP goes through your results and HRT options at a second visit.

Light spotting can happen after an internal scan when the vaginal tissue is thin and dry, and it should settle quickly. Tell your GP or call us if the bleeding is heavier, lasts more than a day or two, or comes with pain.

Yes, and it is a common reason to book. Tell us which HRT you take, whether it is continuous or sequential and where you are in the cycle, as this changes how your lining is read. Unexpected bleeding on HRT is still checked.

Drink about a litre of water an hour before and try not to empty your bladder. Wear a separate top and trousers or skirt. There is no fasting, and you keep taking your usual medicines, including HRT. Bring any earlier scan reports.

It uses the same equipment, but the focus is the endometrial thickness, polyps and the smaller postmenopausal ovaries, read against postmenopausal thresholds. For pain, periods, cysts or fibroids before menopause, please book our private pelvic ultrasound scan instead.