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D and C is a fairly minor surgical procedure. The procedure may be performed in the hospital or a clinic using general or local anesthesia. The doctor will hold the vaginal canal open with a speculum and may apply anesthesia to the opening of the uterus (cervix). A metal rod is used to widen the cervical canal. A curette (a metal loop on the end of a long thin handle) is then passed through the canal into the uterine cavity. The doctor will scrape away the inner layer of the uterus (endometrium) and collect tissue for examination.
Review Date 5/29/2026
Updated by: LaQuita Martinez, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emory Johns Creek Hospital, Alpharetta, GA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
