Endometrial Ablation

Heavy menstrual bleeding affects at least one in 5 women and is responsible for hysterectomies in women even where there is nothing else abnormal with the uterus. In women with fibroids the situation is worsened as heavy bleeding can lead to serious quality of life issues. Endometrial ablation is a procedure that uses energy sourced from electricity or heat to destroy the lining of the uterus. The success in controlling heavy periods is about 90% but this cannot be offered to women who wish to retain their fertility, as it can be very dangerous to get pregnant.

The original methods (first generation) used electrical resection or lasers – we still use these in a few cases today. Ablative procedures can be an option even if there are fibroids in the endometrial cavity.

How is it done?

Under a general or sometimes a local anaesthetic, the cervix is dilated and a wand is inserted in the uterus and once the safety checks have been completed, energy is dispensed to destroy the basal endometrial layer. The operation takes no more than 10 -15 minutes in total, and you can return to work in 48 hours. Minimum pain and a light discharge usually occur in the first week. At the Birmingham Fibroid Clinic the Novasure® or Thermachoice® devices are deployed .