Women in the Tri-Cities can now have a common infertility test done close to home.
Eagle Ridge Hospital recently became one of the few sites in the Lower Mainland to offer the hysterosalpingogram (HSG), which can identify the cause of a woman's inability to become pregnant.
The test is already available and Shenaz Karim, site co-ordinator for medical imaging at ERH, estimates up to 500 women from throughout the Lower Mainland will be booking the test each year if current demand continues.
The test takes about 10 to 15 minutes and involves inserting an X-ray dye into the pelvic area so the radiologist can see any obstructions in the uterus and fallopian tubes.
"It's very time-sensitive, so the less travel and more options available for this service to be provided, the better it is for the patient," said Charlene Giovanetti-King, executive director of the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation.
The HSG test must be performed at a specific time in a woman's cycle, making it difficult to schedule, particularly when there are only four other locations in Fraser Health that offer the test - Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster was the closest option, followed by hospitals in Langley, Abbotsford and Chilliwack.
Giovanetti-King said ERH was able to offer the service after replacing an old fluoroscopy unit with one that is capable of doing a range of tests.
The hospital's radiologist, Dr. Gary Sidhu, is also one of the few who are trained in the procedure. Sidhu said he has worked at five other large hospitals across Canada but none of them have offered their own HSG testing.
"There are very few sites in the Lower Mainland that still do this test because I believe the expertise for doing this test among radiologists has diminished," Sidhu said in a release.
spayne@tricitynews.com
