Endometrial Ablation Specialist

What is endometrial ablation?

Your uterus has a lining called the endometrium. Every month, this lining swells and thickens with blood and nutrients in anticipation of a fertilized egg. When the egg doesn’t arrive, the lining sloughs off and exits as your monthly period so your uterus can ready itself for another cycle.

For women who experience heavy bleeding that’s resistant to other treatments, the team at Obstetricians & Gynecologists, PC, may recommend endometrial ablation, where your doctor removes the lining of your uterus through a simple, in-office procedure.

With this technique, your doctor avoids more invasive measures, such as a hysterectomy, and the ablation is highly effective in reducing and even stopping your abnormal bleeding.

Why would I need an endometrial ablation?

The team at Obstetricians & Gynecologists, PC, may recommend an endometrial ablation to lighten or halt abnormal or heavy bleeding, which is often caused by conditions like uterine fibroids, irregular ovulation, and endometriosis.

But before your doctor recommends this procedure, they make sure the abnormal bleeding isn’t caused by other problems that they need to address first, such as uterine fibroids, endometrial polyps, or malignancies of your uterus.

To rule out these possibilities or confirm a diagnosis, your doctor generally performs a hysteroscopy to examine your uterus and take a tissue sample for biopsy.

It’s important to note, too, that you should only turn to an endometrial ablation if you’re finished having children.

What happens during an endometrial ablation?

If your doctor at Obstetricians & Gynecologists, PC, finds that endometrial ablation is the best treatment for your heavy bleeding, they can perform the procedure in the office on an outpatient basis.

Your provider may use one of several methods to remove the uterine lining. None require surgery because they access your uterus through your vagina and cervix. A few examples include:

• Hydrothermal ablation (heated fluids destroy the lining)
• Cryoablation (a probe freezes the lining)
• Radiofrequency ablation (a device sends out radio waves that heat and destroy the lining)
• Microwave ablation (a device sends out microwave energy to eliminate the lining)
  
  

Most women can return to their usual activities the next day. However, it takes a few months for your uterus to heal fully.

To find out whether endometrial ablation is right for you, call Obstetricians & Gynecologists, PC, or use the online scheduling tool to request an appointment today.