Saline Infusion Sonohysterography (SIS)

Photo credit: www.pogu.com.au

On my Cycle Day 9 (CD9), I was scheduled to have a Saline Infusion Sonohysterography (SIS) at St. Luke's - Global. My ultrasound was at 10:30 a.m at the Women's Healthcare, 2nd floor. I brought Inay with me for emotional, and probably physical, support. Dr. Leovigildo Comia was my OB-GYN Sonologist, as referred by Dr. Guinto.


The nurse at the reception area informed me that Dr. Comia was on an emergency leave. I told her that I was scheduled to have an SIS and asked her to double-check if there was any other sonologist to perform the procedure. I waited and postponed taking the prescribed medicines until I could confirm the time of the ultrasound.

Dr. Leovigildo Comia
Photo credit: www.stlukescarmi.com

At 11 am, the nurse informed me that Dr. Comia was on his way. Yehey! For those trying to conceive, timing is very important in the fertility workup. If I missed the procedure that day, I needed to wait another month/menstrual period. The SIS should be performed on a specific cycle day.

I took my medicines and waited for my turn. 

I emptied my bladder before going to the ultrasound room. The nurse asked me to wear a hospital malong and I removed any clothing from the waist down. I waited on the ultrasound table. After a while, the nurse returned to the room and told me that Dr. Comia was performing a complicated ultrasound on another patient and I could dress and wait outside until he was finished with the patient.

At 12 noon, the nurse called me back and I waited for my SIS to start in the ultrasound room.

First, Dr. Comia performed an initial ultrasound to check my uterus and ovaries. After that, with the assistance of two female nurses, the SIS began. He asked me whether I had taken the antibiotics and briefed me on what to expect during the procedure. He said I might feel pain like during dysmennorhea; some women feel much pain, others don't.

A speculum was inserted and my canal was disinfected with Betadine. A catheter was inserted through the cervix. He asked the nurse to insert a small amount of saline solution in the cathether. Enter the transducer. Insert solution, then air.

I felt pain while he was probing with the transducer inside. When I had my HSG in 2012, I had no pain so I was a bit surprised why my insides were cramping during SIS. I think the HSG wasn't painful for me because only a catheter was inside me, no transducer that was turned all around inside. I just took deep breaths to calm my nerves and my body. I thought, "para sa baby, para sa baby."

After 35 minutes, the SIS was finished. Dr. Comia informed me that my fallopian tubes were patent (no blockages), and there were no polyps or mass in the uterus. Thank God! He told me that the procedure was a bit painful for me because I have retroverted uterus which you could read here; the position of my uterus contradicts the position of the transducer.

The nurse advised me to take a rest first before dressing up and leaving the room. She gave me a sanitary pad to catch the excess saline solution.

A tidbit: I was wearing a dress during the procedure. Before the SIS, a nurse placed a rubber mat under my dress, instead of over it. As a result, a bit of the Betadine and saline solution spilled into my skirt. Good thing, it was a printed red dress, the stain wasn't too obvious. It would be better to wear shorts or pants.

For more information on SIS, read here.

Cost of the procedure: P5,292.00