We are thrilled about our Thermachoice in-office Endometrial Ablation for heavy bleeding. We have been doing this procedure in the office for over 2 years and have had amazing success in controlling heavy bleeding. Our patients are so happy with the procedure since it means very little down time with great results and no hospital stay.
What is heavy bleeding? Bleeding lasting longer than 5-6 days, passage of clots, going through a pad or tampon (or both!) within an hour, bleeding that disrupts your daily routine. Heavy bleeding can be caused by an imbalance in hormonal stimulation to the uterine lining and fibroids.
Our initial treatment recommendation for heavy bleeding is usually birth control pills to decrease estrogen stimulation to the lining in the uterus which results in decreased bleeding and pain. However, many women do not want to take birth control pills due to side effects of the pill including weight gain, moodiness, sexual dysfunction, breast tenderness, etc. Some women just don't want to take a pill or any medication on a daily basis.
Thermachoice in-office Endometrial Ablation is an 8 minute procedure done under local anesthesia. During the procedure, we insert a small camera into the uterus to make sure that there are no abnormalities. We then put a small balloon into the uterine cavity and fill it with a sugar water solution. The introducer has a small device at the tip to heat the solution up to 87 degrees Centigrade. Under heat and pressure, the lining of the uterus is cauterized for the 8 minute treatment cycle and then we look back inside the uterus after the procedure. You can expect some cramping during the treatment cycle which is very manageable. Women will often say it is not as bad as their menstrual cramps. We then monitor you in the office for about 45 minutes and then have someone drive you home. Most women are able to go back to their normal routine within a day or two.
A clinical study showed:
- 95% of women treated reported normal to no periods up to 5 years after treatment
- 3 out of 4 women treated had reduction of menstrual pain and cramping
- Nearly 2 out of 3 experienced either mild or no PMS symptoms after treatment
- 93% reported they were still satisfied with the results 5 years after treatment
In our office, we have seen very similar results and have very happy clients who have been able to avoid hysterectomy and if they do have bleeding, are using mini-pads for their periods!
For some women, endometrial ablation is not an option and they make the decision to have a hysterectomy. We will be discussing hysterectomy options in a future newsletter. I do perform Laparoscopic hysterectomies which are optimal for minimizing hospital stay and downtime.
