Does anyone have any experience of endometrial ablation, particularly the Novasure method?

[WigWamBam]

Have been offered one of these as the best treatment for dysfunctional uterine bleeding/menorrhagia, but the consultant didn't give me a lot of information and Googling has just terrified the wits out of me (I know, Googling any health topic is never a good idea!)

I've searched the archives and found a few postings, but would really value any experiences anyone may have.

Please? Anyone?

bumping for you (sorry, no knowledge, as you know).

I found a couple of old threads:

this one and
this one.

bump.

my sister had this and it changed her life. she's much happier now.

bumpity bump for WWB, and apologies I've got 0% knowledge on this...

Doesn't look as if anyone has, Dotty!

Thanks for the bumps.

Expat - how are you doing?

Not too bad, WWB, thanks for asking!

My sister was terrified of the procedure, too, but she was pretty much at the end of her tether with her periods and had gone through other treatments which just weren't effective for her.

My pal also had Novasure, it's really common in the US to do ablation this way.

It did work for them!

my mum had this op last year. unfortunately during the proceedure they discovered her womb had become misshapen and the abalation didnt work so she ended up having a hysterectomy anyway.

I do think though its a fantastic alternative to a hysterectomy, it was unfortunate that it didnt work for her. The op is quick and relatively painless and i think youre discharged from hospital the next day (poss even the same day)

Oh, thank you.

Gynae will do it as a day case under general anaesthetic, so will be discharged the same day.

A lot of my wobbliness comes from the fact that the gynae didn't actually tell me much about the procedure. He let me believe that it was basically an improved version of a D&C but when I came to research it I found it's actually an alternative to a hysterectomy, and will effectively do the same as a hysterectomy. End of childbearing and all that - not that I was intending to have any more but it feels a bit drastic.

He gave me three options - carry on taking Norethisterone, which makes me psychotic, have a Mirena coil (which also uses Norethisterone, and which I really don't want) and this Novasure ablation. Not much of a choice, really!

I had the novasure ablation nearly a year ago. The procedure itself was fine , in hospital for a day and felt great when I came round from the op. Unfortunately it didn't work too well for me as they said I had a large womb and they could only get 50 per cent of the lining. I also ended up back in hospital with an infection 2 days afterwards.
My periods since have been quite heavy, but lighter than they were before. I know the lining of the womb does grow back over time so I have been told that a hysterectomy is possible for me in a few years time.
The lady who had it done at the same time as me has had no problems and no periods since, which is what is supposed to happen.
One thing though , my doctor was surprised that they didn't sterilise me at the same time as it is possible to still get pregnant but is very dangerous to. He gave me a prescription for the morning after pill!
HTH

Thanks for that, Wizzle.

I had read something about pregnancy being dangerous for both woman and foetus after ablation - I was surprised the gynae didn't mention it, tbh, but he hasn't given me much information at all.

Infection afterwards seems pretty common too ... hmm.

They know from the scans I had that my womb is enlarged, but he still seems to think I'll be OK. He apparently puts a camera in first to check that everything's as it should be, though, and presumably wouldn't go ahead with it if he thought it wouldn't work.

Oh, I don't know what to do!

WWB, there's someone on the menopause thread who has expdrience of this, go there and post.

Thanks, WWW - I will do

I was told it is dangerous as there is no womb lining for the placenta to attach itself to, so it attaches directly to your womb. This causes problems with detachment and bleeding etc. If you do get it done I think the best thing is to be sterilised at the same time.
Its a big decision - I thought it was worth trying before hysterectomy and I suppose it has given me a few more years before I go down that route.

It's certainly a bigger decision than the gynae indicated it to be! Am a bit annoyed that he didn't give me the full story, tbh.

Not sure they would sterilise me at the same time due to my weight - would probably make surgery more difficult. It's worth asking about though, I guess.

SOunds like your gynae has given you the bare minimum of info - typical!

no experience but glad you are getting some views now

Thanks, MrsJC

.

Another hopeful little bump just in case

I had it done in June last year, best thing I have ever done. I couldn't cope with my Mirena coil any longer, too much weight gain, mood swings etc, so had gone back to very, very heavy bleeding - flooding a mooncup in an hour!

I have not had a bleed since then, I was in and out in a day, done under a general, I would have preferred a local, but they won't do that here.

Worst bit was throwing up after the G.A. I had a discharge for about 4 weeks, only needing a panty liner. I would recommend it.

Thanks, Alibubbles. It's nice to hear that it worked for you. How old were you when you had it done, if you don't mind me asking?

I don't want to go back to having the heavy periods again (I was using two night-time towels at a time and still having to change them every twenty minutes - horrible clots as well; looked like half a pound of chopped liver every time I went to the loo) but I'm really wobbly about having this done. I don't think I have much choice really, but I just thought that forewarned was forarmed!

Thanks

WWB, I was very apprehensive and almost chickened out. I was 49. There was no pain, no discomfort, no after effects, just relief, it well and truly worked!