Blue Hill Women’s Health Care offers several treatments for heavy periods and prolonged menstrual bleeding.  Women suffering from heavy menstrual bleeding can experience fatigue, anemia, embarrassing accidents, and restricted activity. If you have heavy periods, you are not alone. About one in five women experience excessive menstrual bleeding.

Sometimes we can help women by prescribing medication, such as hormone therapy.  Many women, however, are seeking a more permanent, one-time solution.  Blue Hill Women’s Health Care may recommend endometrial ablation if you do not plan to have children in the future. This quick, simple, minimally invasive procedure can take place in our office or in an operating room.  The procedure requires no general anesthesia or incisions and generally takes about five to ten minutes.  Most women can return to work or their other daily activities the next day. 

Endometrial ablation is an alternative to a traditional hysterectomy, which surgically removes the uterus and requires general anesthesia. A traditional hysterectomy is accompanied by risks, hospitalization, and a recovery period of up to six weeks.

What can I expect during my ablation procedure?

 If your physician performs the procedure with a local anesthetic injected in and around the cervix, he or she may administer an intravenous sedative to make you more comfortable during the procedure. While some women may feel slight cramping, others may not experience any discomfort at all.

 What can I expect after my ablation procedure?

 You may experience some post-operative uterine cramping and discomfort shortly after the procedure. This can generally be treated with a mild pain medication such as ibuprofen.  Watery and/or bloody discharge is also common for several weeks after any endometrial ablation.

 Following endometrial ablation, most women report that their bleeding is significantly reduced or even stopped.  Many women also report a decrease in painful periods and a reduction in PMS symptoms.

Can I still become pregnant after endometrial ablation?

 It is important to know that, although the chances for pregnancy are reduced following an endometrial ablation procedure, it is still possible to become pregnant.

However, pregnancy following endometrial ablation is very dangerous for both the mother and the fetus. You should not have an endometrial ablation if you think you might want to have a baby in the future. After an endometrial ablation, you should use some form of birth control. The staff of Blue Hill Women’s Health Care would be happy to discuss options with you.  We offer options such as Essure for minimally invasive, permanent birth control.  Please discuss these issues with your physician.

As with any medical procedure, please contact your physician for post-operative care instruction.

Is this procedure covered by insurance?

Most insurances cover endometrial ablation and Blue Hill Memorial Hospital can also discuss options if you are uninsured or carry a high deductible. 

Many of my patients and their partners have suffered from heavy periods for years.  This can be both embarrassing and inconvenient.  I have performed endometrial ablations for years and am glad we can offer this service at our practice in Blue Hill.  Women who have had endometrial ablation almost always say the same thing - they wish they'd had the procedure long ago!

Kathleen Ober, MD