D&C Procedure (Dilation and Curettage): What to Expect, Cost & Recovery in India
Your gynaecologist used the term "D&C" in a sentence that also included the word miscarriage, or maybe abnormal bleeding, and then moved on to scheduling like it was routine. For her, it is routine — she's probably done hundreds. For you, it's a procedure you'd never heard of an hour ago, and that gap is where most of the anxiety lives.
This guide fills that gap: what actually happens, how long it takes, what recovery feels like day by day, and what it costs across Indian cities.
Key Takeaways:
- D&C takes 10–30 minutes and is almost always same-day — you go home a few hours later
- It's used for three main reasons: miscarriage management, investigating abnormal bleeding, and removing uterine tissue for diagnosis
- Cost across India ranges widely — ₹2,500 at some centres to ₹55,000 at premium private hospitals, depending heavily on anesthesia and hospital tier
- Periods typically return within 4–6 weeks
- Cramping and spotting for 1–2 weeks afterward is normal; fever or heavy bleeding is not
1. What a D&C Actually Is
Dilation and curettage, broken into its two parts: dilation means gently widening the cervix enough to pass instruments through, and curettage means using a thin instrument — sometimes a spoon-shaped curette, more often now a suction device — to remove tissue from the inner lining of the uterus.
That's it. It's not abdominal surgery. There's no incision on your skin. Everything happens through the vaginal canal, the same access point as a pelvic exam, just with sedation or anesthesia so you're not aware of (or in pain from) what's happening.
2. Why Doctors Order a D&C
After a miscarriage. When pregnancy tissue doesn't pass on its own — "incomplete miscarriage" — a D&C clears it out. This is the most common reason D&C comes up in conversation, and it's also the one nobody warns you might need until it's happening to you.
Abnormal uterine bleeding. Heavy, prolonged, or irregular bleeding that doesn't respond to medication. The tissue removed is often sent for pathology to rule out polyps, fibroids, or in rare cases, endometrial cancer.
Diagnostic sampling. Sometimes a D&C is purely to get a tissue sample — not to treat anything, just to find out what's going on inside the uterine lining.
Retained products after delivery. Less commonly, after childbirth if some placental tissue remains.
3. What Happens, Step by Step
You'll be asked to avoid food for several hours before (your hospital will give exact timing — usually 6–8 hours). Anesthesia is typically general or a deeper sedation, occasionally local with sedation depending on the hospital and the reason for the procedure.
Once you're sedated, the doctor uses a speculum — the same instrument as a Pap smear — to access the cervix, dilates it gradually with a series of thin rods, then removes tissue from the uterine lining. The whole thing takes 10 to 30 minutes. You're moved to a recovery area for observation, usually for a few hours, and most women go home the same day.
4. Recovery Day by Day
Follow your specific gynaecologist's post-procedure instructions — individual recovery varies based on the reason for the D&C, your anesthesia type, and your overall health.
5. D&C Cost Across India
Costs vary more than almost any other gynaecological procedure, mostly because hospitals price the anesthesia, room category, and reason for the procedure very differently.
| City | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Delhi | ₹12,000 – ₹56,000 |
| Mumbai | ₹17,900 – ₹80,000 |
| Bangalore | ₹20,900 – ₹45,000 |
| Kolkata | ₹26,000 – ₹80,000 |
| Jaipur (Tier-2) | ₹10,000 – ₹20,000 |
| Government hospital | ₹2,500 – ₹15,000 |
What drives the spread: type of anesthesia (general costs more than sedation), room category if admitted overnight, whether the tissue is sent for pathology, and surgeon seniority. Ask for an itemised estimate before the procedure — most hospitals will give one if you ask.
6. When to Call Your Doctor After a D&C
Mild cramping and light bleeding for 1–2 weeks is the expected pattern. Call your doctor — don't wait for the follow-up appointment — if you notice:
- Bleeding heavier than a normal period, soaking a pad in under an hour
- Fever above 100.4°F (38°C)
- Foul-smelling discharge
- Severe abdominal pain that's getting worse, not better
- No period at all within 6–8 weeks
7. People Also Ask
How soon can I get pregnant after a D&C?
Ovulation usually resumes within a few weeks, and pregnancy is biologically possible almost immediately after. Most gynaecologists recommend waiting at least one full menstrual cycle, sometimes longer depending on the reason for the D&C — ask your specific doctor, since this varies based on your case.
Does a D&C affect future fertility?
A single, uncomplicated D&C generally doesn't affect future fertility. Repeated D&Cs, in rare cases, can cause scarring (Asherman's syndrome) that may affect fertility — this is uncommon but worth discussing if you've had more than one.
Is D&C the same as an abortion?
The instruments and basic technique overlap, but D&C as a medical term covers a much broader set of reasons — miscarriage management, diagnostic sampling, bleeding investigation — most of which have nothing to do with pregnancy termination. Context matters here, and your gynaecologist's explanation of why you specifically need one is what defines it, not the procedure name alone.
Will I need general anesthesia?
Often yes, though some centres use deep sedation instead. Your anesthesiologist will discuss options based on your health history and the hospital's protocol.
8. Conclusion
If you're staring down a scheduled D&C right now, here's the short version: it's quick, it's done thousands of times a day across Indian hospitals, and the recovery — while uncomfortable for a week or two — is genuinely manageable for almost everyone. The procedure itself rarely lives up to the anxiety leading into it.
Save the discharge summary and any pathology results from your D&C in Ayu. If your gynaecologist ever needs to compare against this episode later, having the exact report beats trying to recall it from memory.
9. Medical Disclaimer
This article is educational and does not replace medical advice. Always follow the specific pre- and post-procedure instructions given by your treating gynaecologist, which may differ from the general guidance here based on your individual case.
