Uterine Ablations. I LOVE THEM! Them, as there are multiple types. The ones that immediately come to mind are: Novasure, Thermachoice, HTA(hydrothermal endometrial ablation), and Cryo-ablation.
If this is something you are considering, here are my:
Top 5 Things To Know About Ablations:
- Regardless of the type chosen, they all intend to accomplish a common goal: making periods more tolerable! Most women that have ablations have a history of periods that are ruining their lives. You know, preventing you from hanging out with your girlfriends due to the fear of bleeding through your clothes; preventing you from going to work. Ablations aim to achieve something called eumenorrhea, or periods that are tolerable; normal even.
- Your work-up will likely include an ultrasound to evaluate the size of the uterus and look for any obvious cause of your heavy bleeding; i.e, structural things like polyps or fibroids. It’s also protocol to do an endometrial biopsy prior to an ablation to ensure there are no abnormal cells in the lining of the uterus. Remember, if we are doing a procedure to treat heavy bleeding, we need to know, pre-procedure that the cells inside the uterus are normal. An ablation could potentially mask an underlying issue as it treats bleeding. What’s the most common sign of uterine cancer? Bleeding! Got it?!?!?
- Make sure you are DONE HAVING CHILDREN if this is something you’re considering! If you aren’t sure whether more children or having children is in your future, this isn’t for you! While pregnancy is unlikely following a uterine ablation, if it does happen, the pregnancy is at risk for miscarriage or other issues that could pose a considerable risk.
- ABLATIONS ARE NOT BIRTH CONTROL! Either make sure that you have something in place for contraception pre-procedure; i.e., a tubal ligation, OR, make sure you are on an alternate form of contraception.
- Make sure you review ALL the types of ablations so that you get the one that is best for you! Some of the above, Cryo-ablation for example, can be done in the office. Others, such as the HTA, are better suited for large uteruses that may have a distorted cavity due to fibroids.
Remember, YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE!
Hoping this blog post has added value to your day!
Until Next Time,
Look Better. Feel Better. Be Better.
Dr. Angela
