Endometrial Ablation Specialist

What is endometrial ablation?

Endometrial ablation is a procedure that eliminates the lining of your uterus, which usually sheds monthly during your menstrual period. This lining is called the endometrium, and it thickens every month to prepare for a potential pregnancy

There are a few different methods of performing endometrial ablation, and all of them require your provider to place a slim instrument through the cervix and into the uterus. They remove the endometrium using one of the following methods:

• Radiofrequency 
• Microwave energy
• Electrosurgery
• Heated saline
• Heated balloon
• Freezing (cryoablation)

While endometrial ablation keeps your pelvic organs intact and in place, it typically prevents future pregnancies. Therefore, you should only consider the procedure if you don’t plan on getting pregnant in the future. 

What does endometrial ablation treat?

Endometrial ablation is primarily a treatment for abnormal uterine bleeding, which can result from many different conditions and hormone imbalances. 

It includes spotting or bleeding between periods, a heavy menstrual flow that affects your daily functioning or causes anemia, and periods that last longer than a week. 

After your endometrial ablation procedure, you can expect a significant reduction in your uterine bleeding. Some individuals experience no more bleeding at all after endometrial ablation. 

If you get endometrial ablation at a young age, it’s possible for the endometrium to grow back months or years later. The team can tell you more about what to expect in the future before the procedure. 

How should I prepare for endometrial ablation?

Preparing for endometrial ablation involves detailed discussions with the team at Georgia Obstetrics and Gynecology about your current health, future plans for reproduction, and what to expect from the treatment. 

Be sure to ask any questions and bring in a list of your current medications for the team to review.

If the team decides that endometrial ablation is a good fit for you, they provide pre-procedure instructions. They include:

• Taking a pregnancy test 
• Removing your intrauterine device (IUD) if you have one
• Fasting for eight hours before the test
• Getting a test for endometrial cancer
• Thinning the endometrium with medications or dilation and curettage

There may be other preliminary tests for you to take before endometrial ablation to ensure the procedure is safe for you. 

Abnormal bleeding can become more than an inconvenience if it causes excessive blood loss. To find out more about endometrial ablation to treat abnormal bleeding, book an appointment by phone or online at Georgia Obstetrics and Gynecology today.