HYCOSY works by introducing a small amount of contrast fluid through a thin catheter placed at the cervix, then tracking it in real time using transvaginal ultrasound as it fills the uterine cavity and passes along each fallopian tube. If a tube is open, the fluid flows through it and spills freely at the far end; if a tube is blocked, its passage is visibly interrupted, showing the point of obstruction. The whole assessment is visualised directly on ultrasound, in real time, in the same way as your other pelvic scans.
This gives your consultant the same core information as a traditional X-ray hysterosalpingogram — whether each tube is open or blocked — without the ionising radiation, and without needing a separate radiology appointment. Because it’s performed with ultrasound, it can also be combined with a full assessment of your uterine cavity, ovaries, fibroids or polyps in the same sitting, giving a more complete picture of your reproductive anatomy in a single visit rather than several separate tests.
