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Heavy Bleeding
You're suffering from heavy menstrual bleeding; your doctor calls it menorrhagia. You don't really care what it's called, as long as it can be resolved. Today, an exciting new breakthrough offers you a treatment that is at once quick, simple, safe and complete. The NovaSureTM Impedance Controlled Endometrial Ablation System features rapid treatment time, excellent safety record, no required pre-treatment, high success rate, and fast recovery time. This is a treatment that can finally stop the heavy bleeding so that you can go on with your life.
What Is Menorrhagia?
Menorrhagia is excessive menstrual bleeding. If your bleeding lasts seven or more days per cycle, or is so excessive that you need to change protection nearly every hour, you may have menorrhagia. Only your doctor can tell you for sure.
Women suffering from menorrhagia can experience fatigue, anemia, embarrassing accidents, and restricted activity. If you're familiar with these effects, you know that menorrhagia can disrupt your life.
And you are not alone. About 1 in 5 women experience unusually heavy menstrual bleeding. And there are now more treatment options available to you.
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What Are The Treatment Options?
Drug Therapy is typically the first treatment option, consisting of oral contraceptives or other hormones that treat hormonal imbalances. This therapy is effective only about 50% of the time, and usually must be continued in order to remain effective. Some women have undesirable side effects, including headaches, weight change, and nausea.
Dilation and curettage (D & C) is frequently the second option if drug therapy is ineffective. It is a common surgical procedure that involves scraping of the inside of the uterus. However, for the majority of women with menorrhagia, it's only a temporary solution that reduces bleeding for a few cycles.
Endometrial ablation. If you do not plan to have any more children, your doctor may suggest minimally invasive surgical treatment options. Several methods are currently available:
- Conventional endometrial ablation removes the lining of the uterus with an electrosurgical tool or laser. This method effectively reduces bleeding in approximately 85% of patients, and most women return to work within 3 days. Risks include perforation of the uterus, bleeding, infection, or even heart failure due to fluids used to open up or distend the uterus.
- A new generation of endometrial ablation devices is now available. Some devices destroy the endometrium by using heated fluid. Others use freezing temperatures to destroy the tissue. Recently, the NovaSureTM System, which uses a precisely controlled dose of energy, was made available for use in the U.S.
Hysterectomy or surgical removal of the uterus is the only definitive treatment for menorrhagia. Hysterectomy is a major procedure, performed in the hospital under general anesthesia, and is accompanied by surgical risks, hospitalization, and, depending on the technique used, a recovery period of up to 6 weeks.
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What Is The NovaSureTM System?
The NovaSureTM System provides an effective and minimally invasive outpatient alternative to hysterectomy, while avoiding the potential side effects and long-term risks of drug therapy. The patented NovaSureTM System is a next-generation endometrial ablation device that uses precisely measured electrical energy delivered via a slender, hand-held device to remove the endometrial lining.
This quick, outpatient procedure requires no incisions, can be performed in an office or outpatient setting, and generally takes less than five minutes to perform. This is significantly shorter than any other endometrial ablation procedure.
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What Can I Expect With The NovaSureTM Procedure?
Most women will see a significant reduction in the level of their menstrual bleeding. In randomized, controlled clinical studies of the NovaSureTM System, a majority of patients returning for follow-up at 12 months had their bleeding reduced to light or moderate periods, and many reported that their bleeding had stopped completely. Many women may also experience the added benefits of a significant reduction in painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea), as well as a meaningful reduction in PMS symptoms.
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Am I A Candidate For The NovaSureTM Procedure?
Pre-menopausal women with heavy menstrual bleeding, who have completed childbearing may be candidates for the NovaSureTM procedure. Your physician may perform diagnostic tests to rule out other abnormal uterine conditions, and your Pap smear and biopsy of the endometrial lining must be normal.
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How Does The NovaSureTM System Work?
The application fo energy is intended to permanently remove the endometrium (lining of the uterus) to reduce or eliminate future bleeding. Here's a look at how the procedure is performed:
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Your doctor will slighly dilate your cervix and insert a slender wand through the cervix into the uterus.
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The doctor the extends the triangular mesh device through the wand where it expands to conform to the dimensions of your uterine cavity.
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Electrical energy is then delivered into the uterus on average for approximately 90 seconds.
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The triangular mesh device is then retracted back into the wand and removed from the uterus.
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No part of the medical device remains inside the uterus after the procedure.
The NovaSureTM procedure is performed with local anesthesia (with or without IV sedation) or general anesthesia, depending on the surgeon's recommendation.
After the NovaSureTM procedure, you may spend approximately 2 hours recovering before being sent home.
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What Are The Benefits Of The NovaSureTM Procedure?
It's quick, simple, safe and requires no endometrial pre-treatment. Prior to other endometrial ablation procedures, patients often need to take a pre-treatment drug such as Lupron® for 1 to 2 months to thin the lining of the uterus. The NovaSureTM procedure eliminates the cost, potential side effects, and delays in treatment commonly associated with endometrial pre-treatment. The NovaSureTM procedure is also much more convenient because the treatment can be performed at any time during your cycle, even during your period.
Along with high success rates, many patient also enjoy a reduction of PMS symptoms and a reduction in dysmenorrhea or painful menstruation.
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What Will I Feel During The NovaSureTM Procedure?
About an hour before therapy, your doctor may give you medication to minimize cramping during and after the procedure. You may also be given a mild sedative to help you relax. Many doctors choose for their patients to be awake during the procedure, as the NovaSureTM procedure does not require general anesthesia. When your physician is able to perform 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, menstrual-like cramping, some may not experience any discomfort at all during the procedure.
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What Can I Expect After Having An Endometrial Ablation Procedure?
The following are some of the post-operative discomforts associated with any endometrial ablation procedure.
You may experience some post-operative uterine cramping and discomfort shortly after the procedure, which can generally be treated with mild pain medication such as Ibuprofen (e.g. Advil® or Motrin®.)
Some patients may experience nausea and vomiting as a result of the anesthesia. Watery and/or bloody discharge after an endometrial ablation is also common for several weeks after the procedure.
Most women can return to normal activities within a day or two of their treatment. Sexual activity can be resumed after your first checkup, usually in 7 to 10 days.
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Are There Any Post-Procedure Complications?
You should call your physician if you develop a fever higher than 100.4ºF, worsening pelvic pain that is not relieved by ibuprofen or other medication prescribed by your physician, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, dizziness, bowel or bladder problems, and/or a greenish vaginal discharge.
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Are Women Satisfied With The Results Of The NovaSureTM Procedure?
Excellent results have led to very high satisfaction rates among patients treated with the NovaSureTM System. According to results of a patient satisfaction survey, over 92% of patients responding were satisfied or very satisfied with the procedure 12 months after treatment, and 95% indicated that they would recommend the NovaSureTM procedure to a friend.
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What Risks Are Associated With The NovaSureTM Procedure?
Your physician will explain the surgical risks of all treatment options in detail. Some of the risks of endometrial ablation procedures are perforation of the uterus, bleeding, infection, injury to organs within the abdomen and pelvis, and accumulation of blood within the uterus due to scarring.
A possible hazard may exist for women with cardiac pacemakers or other active implants.
Another rare, but important, risk of any endometrial ablation procedure is that it may decrease your doctor's ability to make an early diagnosis of cancer of the endometrium. The reason for this is that one of the warning signs of endometrial cancer is bleeding, and endometrial ablation procedures decrease or eliminate bleeding.
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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 endormetrial ablation is very dangerous for both the mother and the fetus. You should not have the NovaSureTM procedure if you think you want to have a baby in the future.
You should use some form of birth control if you decide to have endometrial ablation. Please discuss these options with your physician.
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